Health insurance scheme for UTs of Jammu & Kashmir

The people of Jammu and Kashmir can now take advantage of the universal health insurance scheme which is in lines with the Central government’s Ayushman Bharat. The insurance scheme will provide health insurance cover free of cost to all residents of the union territory. It will also cover the serving and retired employees and their families.

J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha told a press conference that the administration has approved an important public health benefit proposal, which is also a first of its kind in India. Sinhas said the J&K health scheme will provide universal health coverage to about 70 lakh residents of the UT who are not covered under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme. Atal Dulloo, administrative secretary in the health department, said the J&K Health Scheme will have the same benefits as Ayushman Bharat, whereby the beneficiaries can avail cashless treatment at all hospirals empanelled under the central scheme. He added that the annual financial implication of the insurance scheme would be up to Rs 123 crore. “The registration for the scheme will start within a week’s time, but the scheme will be implemented only after a formal launch.”

Dulloo said that life consuming diseases like cancer, kidney failure and COVID-19 are also covered under the scheme. He pointed out that all high-end treatments of oncology, cardiology and nephrology will be covered from day one while the high-end diagnostic treatments during hospitalization will also be covered. Moreover, there will be no restrictions on the family size or age. All the pre-existing medical conditions shall be covered under the scheme including three days of pre-hospitalization, hospitalization and 15 days of post-hospitalization expenses, including diagnostic care and medicines.

Moreover, the government is likely to incur a financial cost of about Rs 123 crore annually for this scheme, which will be implement through Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Ltd.