Health insurance scheme to undergo restructuring for wider

Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) will be restructured to make its coverage wider, intensive and IT driven, the government today said.
The restructured scheme, to be coordinated by the Union Health Ministry, will bring together several disjointed schemes coordinated by different agencies under one umbrella, and is likely to become operational shortly.
"The new scheme would have more benefits and beneficiaries. MoUs would be entered with the state governments. Those states which want to extend the services to people above poverty line (APL) and provide secondary and tertiary benefits could do so as a top up of the scheme," a CII statement, quoting Union Health Secretary B P Sharma, said.

Sharma was speaking at the ninth Health Insurance Summit organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
Sharma said that an important feature of the new scheme was the strong IT platform which would be created for facilitating operation of the scheme.
A large database is being created that would detail facilities at every hospitals, disease profile and other details and would help immensely every stakeholder, he said.

The Health Secretary said that the restructured RSBY would cover around 8 to 10 crore BPL people and there will be enhancement of cash limits for treatment.
"Improved quality, universal coverage, affordability would be the hallmark of the new scheme, which will also lay stress on preventive medical care.

"In this regard, he said that the scheme envisages free medical check-ups once in every three years for the age group vulnerable to cardiac diseases and diabetes," the statement said.