The Hindu : National : ESIC plan to extend medicare for unorganised sector

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Saturday, Oct 13, 2007
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ESIC plan to extend medicare for unorganised sector

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) is planning to extend medical care to workers in the unorganised sector through its chain of hospitals across the country.

Chairing the 140th meeting of the Corporation here, Minister of Labour and Employment (independent charge) Oscar Fernandes said the ESI scheme, being the premier social security scheme, must come forward and make a beginning by participating in the Health Insurance Scheme for below the poverty line workers in the unorganised sector by making available its vast network of hospitals. The meeting was specially called to discuss the issue.

The meeting discussed the proposal to amend certain provisions of the ESI Act, 1948, enabling the opening of facilities in the hospitals to non-insured persons on payment of user charges.

It also discussed enabling the government to notify separate schemes for different sectors of employment or occupation with separate source of financing.

New scheme

The Centre, on October 1, announced a health insurance scheme, “Swasthya Bima Yojana,” to provide health insurance cover to those below the poverty line in the unorganised sector and their families.

The scheme provides a cover of Rs.30,000 a family per annum, and would provide health care which will include pre-existing diseases, hospitalisation, surgical procedures which could be provided on a day care basis, transport allowance of Rs.100 a visit and pre- and post-hospitalisation expenses for one day prior to and five days after hospitalisation.

The scheme has to be provided through government as well as private hospitals.

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