Cash-strapped govt grapples with insurance cover disparity

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 28

The state has agreed to implement the National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS) under Ayushman Bharat, providing insurance cover of Rs5 lakh annually to 14.96 lakh poor families enlisted in the Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC). But the cash-strapped government is finding it difficult to extend the benefit to another 20.04 lakh beneficiaries, who are covered for just Rs50,000 under the state-run Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Bima Yojana (BPSSBY).

A total of 35 lakh families are covered under the state scheme, started by the then Akali-BJP government. Since the NHPS will cover 14.96 lakh families, the “politically correct” course would be to bring parity in insurance cover for all 35 lakh families.

However, official sources say the Finance Department has expressed its inability to fund the higher premium for all beneficiaries. An official communiqué in this regard was sent to the Health Department last week. Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal told The Tribune that the national scheme was meant only for the poorest of the poor.

As per sources, following the Finance Department’s refusal, the issue was reportedly taken up by the Health Department with Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. The latter is learnt to have asked Health Minister Brahm Mohindra to bring up the issue for discussion in the next Cabinet meeting.

The sources say in the NHPS, where the state government pays 40 per cent of the insurance premium (the remaining 60 per cent will be borne by the Centre) for 14.96 lakh families, the state’s share will be Rs230 crore. If 100 per cent premium for cashless insurance to the remaining 20 lakh beneficiaries is to be paid by the state, the outgo will be another Rs760 crore. The government is already paying a premium of Rs136 crore for beneficiaries of the state scheme. If the two schemes are dovetailed, the total outgo from the state’s treasury will be around Rs860 crore.