Domestic helps, hawkers to get cashless health insurance

The health insurance cover to the new categories will be provided under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY) and it will benefit nearly eight lakh families comprising around 40 lakh people, Delhi Health Minister A K Walia said.

Currently, the scheme covers all below poverty line (BPL) families, construction workers registered with Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board and 'most vulnerable families' in the city identified by the Social Welfare department.

"The scheme covers about one lakh families having about five lakh members. Inclusion of the new categories is expected to benefit eight lakh families in Delhi comprising about 40 lakh members," Walia said.

To avail the benefit of the scheme, each family comprising a maximum of five members, will have to make a token payment of Rs 30 and it will be entitled to medical benefits of up to Rs 30,000 per year in empanelled hospitals.

The premium under this scheme is paid by the Central and city governments on behalf of the beneficiary.

On registration, beneficiaries will be issued a smart card which contains essential information of the family. The card makes the family members entitled for cashless treatment facilities at selected hospitals.

The registration of beneficiaries will start next month, Walia said.

The decision to include new categories under the scheme was taken at a meeting attended by representatives of three Municipal Corporations, NDMC, Northern Railway, Delhi Medical Association, Oriental Insurance Company and the Labour Department, which is the nodal department to implement the scheme. (MORE)