CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Government is all set to launch its flagship universal health insurance scheme ‘Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana’ (SSBY) from 1 July, 2019. This Health scheme first of its kind in the state will provide annual health cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family to 43.18 lakh families of Punjab. All the formalities for the launch of this universal health scheme are completed. 364 Private hospitals of Punjab have been empanelled where the beneficiaries could get secondary care & tertiary care treatment.
It was disclosing by Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu, Health Minister after presiding over the first meeting of CM’s consultative group of universal health insurance scheme. Health Minister said that in total 43.18 lakh families of Punjab would be provided the annual health cover of Rs. 5 lakh. He said that these families are comprising of 14.86 lakh PMJAY families, 20.48 lakh other poor families possessing blue cards, 7.84 lakh families from various departments like 5 lakh farmers under Punjab Mandi Board, 0.46 lakh families under Excise & Taxation department and 2.38 lakh construction workers registered with construction worker’s welfare board.
The Health Minister said that the state government has already prepared the database of 43.18 lakh beneficiaries.
He said that all the public hospitals above CHC level are empanelled to provide secondary & tertiary care treatment to the beneficiaries. He said that around 400 hundred private hospitals in Punjab have applied for empanelment, which is under process. He said that these private hospitals would be empanelled from the state of this scheme.
Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu said that the cost of the premium for 14.86 lakh families covered under PMJAY as per SECC data shall be borne by Union Government and State Government in 60:40 ratio whereas for the rest of beneficiaries all the cost would be borne by the State Government. Further enumerating the core features of the scheme Mr. Sidhu said that a cashless health insurance cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year would be provided. Beneficiaries could avail the cashless secondary care & tertiary treatment in empanelled public and private hospitals of Punjab & Chandigarh.
Mr. Satish Chandra, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare appraised the members present in the meeting that to facilitate the beneficiaries 194 Ayushman Mitras have been appointed in the public hospitals of Punjab whereas Deputy Medical Commissioners have been nominated as District Nodal Officer under the scheme. Likewise insurance agency has established project offices and its State and District implementation units to facilitate the beneficiaries to claim insurance cover.
Prominent amongst other who attended the meeting included Mr. Raj Kuamr Chabbewal, Mr. Nirmal Singh Shutrana, Mr. Dharambir Agnihotri, Mr. Sushil Kumar Rinku, Mr. Lakhbir Singh Lakkha, Mr. Dalbir Singh Goldi, Mr. Avtar Singh (all MLAs), Mrs. Raji P. Shrivastava, Principal Secretary, Social Security & Women and Child Development and Mr. Amit Kumar, MD, NHM.