Union Minstry introduces Niramaya, to help BPL families

Chennai, Mar 27 (UNI) The national trust under the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has introduced 'Niramaya', an health insurance scheme, for the persons of BPL families who were suffering with cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities, in ten selected districts in the country.

As a part of the pilot project, the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has awarded the mandate to ICICI Lombard General Insurance to provide health insurance to a maximum of one lakh specially abled BPL persons in ten districts, including Central Delhi, Chandigarh, Jabalpur, Kaimur, Agartala, Raebareily, Erode, Ernakulam, Ahmedabad and Bhageshwar, a company release said here today.

It would provide an insurance up to Rs one lakh per person. The premium of Rs 99, excluding service tax, would be funded by national trust. The insurance cover would be applicable for a period of one year with effect from March five, 2008, the release added.

The scheme would offer a package of benefits including cover for pre-existing conditions, cashless hospitalization up to Rs 1,00,000, domiciliary hospitalization and nursing charges up to Rs 20,000, corrective surgeries for existing disability including congenital disability up to Rs 50,000, surgery to prevent further aggravation and post operative care including therapies for six months up to Rs 15,000 each.

It will also include, OPD services (consultation and medicines) for all ailments, regular medical checkup for non-ailing disabled, pathology, radiology, advance tests for diagnosis of illness and monitoring disability, ongoing therapies to reduce impact of disability and disability related complications, preventive dentistry, transport charges for seeking medical services and alternative medicine.

The national trust had appointed a nodal agency, which would get all the ten districts covered. They would collect the enrolment form with photographs, BPL certificate and disability certificate and send it to ICICI Lombard, which would issue the cards.

The cards along with the hospital list would be sent to national trust, who in turn would give it to the nodal agency to distribute it to the specially-abled people, the release added.

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