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| Free health insurance scheme for J&K residents nowhere in sight | | | ASHWANI SHARMA
EARLY TIMES REPORT
UDHAMPUR, Sept 4: The J&K Health Insurance Scheme to provide free of cost universal health coverage to all residents of the Union Territory is nowhere in sight even after six months since the Administrative Council of J&K under the then LG, Girish Chander Murmu had accorded sanction to roll out the scheme on March 18 this year.
In the present scenario where coronavirus has become a threat to life, the scheme would have proved to be of immense benefits to the residents of J&K especially the poor and middle class families.
“My father is ill for the last six months. He was a vendor who used to pull cart to sell things. He has kidney problem and due to lockdown my father has no work. We went to doctor and he advised us to go to Narayana Hospital for better treatment but our financial status does not allow us for that. Had the J&K Health Insurance Scheme was in place people like us would have get benefitted,” said Arun Kumar, a student.
It is not an isolated case; there are several others who could be at advantage due to the implementation of the scheme.
Advocate Rahul Jandial, a social worker, said that the government should have a follow up of the scheme and it should check if the real beneficiaries are being benefitted of it or not.
The scheme was to benefit around 1.25 crore residents of J&K by providing them same benefits as are listed under Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY under which at present there are 5.95 lakh families are eligible for benefits.
Under the Universal Health Coverage, the beneficiaries are entitled to free health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year on floater basis and there is no restriction on family size, age or gender.
All pre-existing illnesses are covered besides; cashless services are also available in all the empanelled hospitals under this scheme.
The beneficiaries under the scheme shall have access to 20,853 (public and private) hospitals across the country and avail the benefits with facility of inter-state portability.
As per the decision of the Administrative Council, all employees, pensioners and their family members are also covered under the J&K Health Scheme.
Despite repeated attempts the Financial Commissioner Health and Medical Education, Atal Duloo could not be reached for comments. |
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