Sonia Gandhi to launch health insurance for poor

Congress president Sonia Gandhi will visit this city in east Maharashtra Nov 21 to inaugurate a health insurance option for the poor, a party official said Wednesday.

During her day-long trip, Gandhi will launch the state's pet scheme, Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayi Arogya Yojana (RGJAY), a good health insurance option to improve medical access to people below poverty line and above poverty line, or families earning around Rs.100,000 per annum.

Launched in July 2012 and implemented in eight of the state's 35 districts, benefitting around five million such families, the state government pays the premium of Rs.333 per family for the insurance cover of upto Rs.150,000.

The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana, a central scheme for poor, covers only up to Rs.30,000 expenses per annum, while the RGJAY gives a five-fold cover and will cover eight crore of the state's 12-crore population in the next three years.

It will have treatment options in government and top private hospitals for 972 surgeries, therapies and procedures.

Party leaders led by state Congress president Manikrao Thakre held a meeting in the city Wednesday to discuss and finalise the programme for Gandhi's visit, said state spokesperson Sachin Sawant.