Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

New health insurance scheme in the offing

N.J. Nair

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Government is working on a health insurance scheme for families below the poverty line (BPL) with a special focus on the public health system.

Sources in the Local Administration and Finance Departments told The Hindu that instead of joining hands with the private sector, the Government is planning to rope in public sector companies and launch the scheme through Government hospitals and public health centres (PHCs). The previous United Democratic Front (UDF) Government’s attempt to implement the scheme in association with a private insurance company turned out to be a non-starter since it was against the provisions of the Universal Health Insurance Scheme (UHIS).

The UHIS, which is specifically designed for BPL families with a Central Government subsidy, can be implemented only through public sector insurance companies. The provisions made in the non-Plan budget of the Finance Ministry specify that public sector companies alone are eligible for the subsidy. The parameters fixed by the previous Government were against the UHIS norms and it did not have the approval of the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority. There were complaints that the scheme was inaugurated without signing a formal agreement with the company. Ultimately, the Government was forced to drop the scheme.

Indigent families will be the main beneficiaries of the proposed scheme. The premium will be fixed at a very low rate and the Government will bear the expenses for the poor families. The scheme will be operational only in Government hospitals and PHCs. The beneficiaries will be allowed to go to private hospitals only for an emergency. Over-dependence on private hospitals will weaken the public health system and ultimately pave the way for monopoly of the private sector. Hence, the scheme will be restricted to Government hospitals, sources said.

Steps will be taken for the optimum utilisation of the National Rural Health Mission funds. It has been proposed to create around 1,000 posts, including doctors and paramedical staff, and ensure uninterrupted supply of medicines in all Government hospitals.Finance Minister P. Chidambaram had informed Local Administration Minister Paloli Mohammed Kutty on March 6 last that the subsidy would be capped at the level of BPL population as estimated by the Planning Commission.

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