UP: Six crore people to get Ayushman Bharat benefit

Lucknow: As many as 6 crore people from 1.18 crore families of the state will be benefitted by the free medical treatment under health insurance scheme `Ayushman Bharat National Protection Mission’, announced by the Centre in the union budget for 2018-19 in February.

 The six crore people will be entitled for annual health insurance cover of Rs 5 Lakh and they will get free medical facility in private and government hospitals. Most of the beneficiaries will be from the social and economically backward caste as the families included in Socio economic caste census (SECC) 2011 are the targeted social group under the health insurance scheme.

UP government has started the process of the implementation of the ambitious health insurance scheme. The state level and district committees have already been constituted and now they have been asked to expedite the process of enlisting the hospitals for the implementation of the health insurance scheme.

The health insurance scheme will cover all the families included in Socio economic caste census (SECC) 2011. Each family included in SECC data base will be entitled for annual health insurance cover of Rs 5 Lakh and they will get free medical facility in private and government hospitals.

The chief secretary Anoop Chandra Pandey said here on Tuesday that the families covered in SECC will be provided medical treatment for secondary, tertiary and other serious ailments free of cost. He said for the implementation of the health scheme, district implementation unit, will be set up in each of 75 districts of the state. He said the directions have been issued to the district magistrates for the recruitment of the staff for these units which include one district programme coordinator, one district information system manager and one district grievance manager.

He said the beneficiaries of the health insurance scheme will get the free medical treatment in the hospitals enlisted under the insurance scheme. He said for the facility of the beneficiaries ~Ayushmkan Mitr’ will be appointed in each district. He said the Ayhushaman Mitr will help the patients in availing the facilities under the health insurance scheme like identification of the beneficiary, pre-authorization of the treatment package and providing assistance in the admission of the patient in the hospital. The Ayushaman Mitr will get monthly honorarium of Rs 5,000 and Rs 50 as incentive on each beneficiary of the health insurance scheme.

Chief Secretary also directed the officials of the health department to ensure that the `Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadi Kendra’ are opened in each district where the medicines at rates far lower than the market rates are available to the common people. So far such kendr have been opened in 62 districts and are to be opened in remaining 13 districts. The district magistrates of the 13 districts have been asked to arrange for the accommodation for the Aushadi Kendra in their respective district.