Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Health insurance scheme planned

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac has effected an across-the-board increase in welfare pensions from the present Rs.110-130 to Rs. 200 a month as part of a comprehensive social security scheme covering welfare pensions, health insurance and assistance for the destitute and the differently abled.

The Finance Minister has also announced that pension at the rate of Rs.250 would be paid to aged persons with incomes below poverty line (BPL) under the Union government’s pension scheme.

‘Nilathezhuthaasaans’ (traditional pre-school teachers) and workers involved in lime shell collection would also get pension with the former being included in the Artisans’ and Skilled Workers Welfare Fund Scheme and the latter in the Fishermen’s Welfare Fund Scheme, Dr. Isaac said.

He said no person would be eligible for two pensions.

The pensions would be disbursed at the beginning of each month to the beneficiaries through banks.

The government would also launch a health insurance scheme to be called ‘Kerala Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme,’ based on the health insurance programme of the Union government for BPL families.

However, the Kerala scheme would not be limited to those below poverty line, but would be accessible for everyone who wishes to join it. The new health insurance scheme would be launched on an experimental basis in Kollam and Alappuzha districts, which have been included in the Rashtreeya Swasthya Beema Yojana Scheme by the Union government.

Those who come under the Union government scheme need pay only Rs.30 as registration fee. The premium amount of Rs.750 would be met by the State and Union governments as subsidy. Those who belong to the BPL category as determined by the State government would have to pay Rs.100 as beneficiary share.

The balance amount would be subsidised by the State government.

The Finance Minister said the most significant aspect of the health insurance scheme would be that it would be based on the public health system. Consultation fee, diagnostic charges, room rent and hospital bed charges and medicine would be formulated based on the practices in the public health system.

Private hospitals agreeing to such rates can also be part of the scheme. Dr. Isaac said he was earmarking Rs.20 crore for the health insurance scheme and Rs.10 crore to provide support to all recognised institutions providing care to mentally challenged children.

The pension for the physically challenged and mentally challenged persons would be enhanced from Rs.160 to Rs.200.

Orphanages would be brought under the ‘Karunya Deposit Scheme’ to provide financial assistance of Rs.15,000 to every lakh rupees deposited in the treasury to the institution proposed by the depositor.

An amount of Rs.15 lakh would be given as financial assistance to any institution which deposits Rs. 1 crore in the treasury. The monthly allowance of children in orphanages would be raised to Rs. 50.

The Finance Minister said he was setting apart Rs.15 crore to provide medical care for children affected by cancer.

A scheme for offering lunch to anyone in need at Rs. 2 a meal would be implemented using the base kitchen at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital with the participation of voluntary agencies and industrial units.

An initiative titled ‘Samagra’ will be launched to build clusters of small-scale enterprises under the Kudumbasree Mission and to offer them technical support on a continuous basis.

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