Orissa BPL families to get health insurance from next fiscal

Bhubaneswar, Jan 24 (PTI) People having BPL cards inOrissa would be covered under Rastriya Swasthya Bima Yojanafrom the next fiscal, official sources said today.

This was decided at a high level meeting chaired byChief Minister Naveen Patnaik here. "The BPL families to becovered under the health insurance scheme will pay only Rs 30per annuam in order to get benefits," Patnaik said.

The state government decided to introduce the healthinsurance scheme in all the districts after implemnting it insix selected districts on pilot basis, sources said.

However, it was seen from the pilot project that theinsurance company got a huge benefit to the tune of Rs 12crore in a year as people failed to enchash the facility, saidlabour and employment minister Pushpendra Singhdeo.

Stating that lack of awarness among BPL families onlyhelped insurance company, he said four insurance companies hadshown interest to insure poor families in the state.

As it was found that the beneficiaries were notprovided with insurance cards by the insurance company in thepilot project, the minister suggested that the panchayatextention officers (PEO) would henceforth be givenresponsibility of facilitating people to take benefits.

A family of five members could avail assistance worthRs 30,000 per annum as health expenses, the minister saidadding a toll free phone (number-155335) would be installedfor helping people in getting benefit.

The government would spend Rs 408 as premium money foreach family. While the state government would bear the 25 percent cost of the premium amount, the central government had togive rest of the money.