Health worker cover may get renewed soon

MUMBAI: New India Assurance is likely to renew the insurance scheme for health workers fighting Covid, which came into effect from March 30, 2020, as part of the PM Garib Kalyan Package. The policy was a short-term cover valid for 90 days, but was subsequently extended up to March 24, 2021.

It provided a life cover of Rs 50 lakh for those health workers fighting Covid. While the claims under the policy have been much higher than the premium, the government has capped New India Assurance’s liability — under the policy so losses would be borne by the government.

The cover is intended to play the role of a social security scheme for health workers. The policy is a unique cover as it was issued on the back of government support without any data on what the claims were expected to be. Although it covers life, it is issued by a general insurance company as a personal accident policy covering only a single risk — death arising out of accidentally contracting Covid.

Sources said the new policy may have the same terms as the expiring policy as the process of identifying those who are covered and claim settlement has got streamlined. While there have been calls for extending the coverage beyond the government definition of healthcare workers, industry sources said that the policy would be difficult to implement.

Source: The Times of India