Revised health insurance plan launch in Nov

Jaipur: While the state government is implementing Bharat-Mahatma Gandhi Rajasthan Swasthya Bima Yojna (AB-MGRSBY), a lot of beneficiaries are facing difficulties in getting treatment. The health department claimed AB-MGRSBY will be launched fully in the first week of November.

“We are finalising things such as software and the process of empanelling of hospitals. So far, 160 hospitals have been empanelled,” said a senior health department official. Patients have been facing difficulties in getting treatment under the government-run insurance scheme for BPL.

Rubina (30), whose kidneys have failed, is getting her dialysis done regularly. “Till last year, I was getting the benefit under the scheme. The coverage under the scheme was Rs 3lakh but that amount exhausted in November-December last year and since then I have been paying for dialysis. I tried a lot of times but my coverage has not been increased. My husband has disowned me and I have two daughters. My dialysis is possible only because some relatives are helping me,” said Rubina, a resident of Walled City.

The hospital has also agreed to give her discounts because of her financial condition. The hospital is providing dialysis at Rs 750 per visit and it is being done twice a week. Tonk-based farmer Rajesh Saini is also undergoing dialysis. Earlier, he was getting benefit of insurance scheme, but for the last 6 months, he has been paying from his pocket. He said his insurance amount has exhausted and its coverage has not been enhanced despite repeated attempts. However, health department officials claimed that they are regularly raising the coverage of beneficiaries whose Rs 3 lakh have been spent.

Indian Medical Association (Rajasthan-branch) president Dr MN Thareja said, “Since a lot of hospitals dues have not been cleared, they are not showing interest in the scheme.”

Source: The Times of India