New health insurance policy for BPL families: Paswan

Jaipur, Nov 1 (UNI) The central government will soon unveil a new Health Insurance policy for Below the Poverty Line (BPL) families, benefitting over 30 crore people in the country.

Stating this here today, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers and Steel, Ram Vilas Paswan said under the new policy amounting to Rs 3000 crore per year, the BPL families will be provided free medicines along with a family insurance of upto Rs 35,000. The health insurance premium upto Rs 15,000 will be paid by the government to the insurance company.

The central government will also unveil Drug Banks, which are expected to open in 600 districts across the country. The drug banks will initally be started in selected districts in five-six states from Jan 26, 2007 on pilot basis where BPL and poor families can avail free medicines.

Mr Paswan said Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharastra have already agreed to the opening of 'Drug Banks' in their states.

On the new 'Cancer Assistance Fund' amounting to Rs 200 crore, Mr Paswan said BPL families will be provided free medicines only at government cancer hospitals and on prescriptions from prescribed doctors of the hospital. For families above the BPL, medicinces will be provided at 50 per cent of the cost.

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