Health ministry forms working groups to finalise modalities of NHPS

The Union health ministry today said it has in consultation with all states constituted six working groups to finalise the modalities of the National Health Protection Scheme that aims to provide Rs 5 lakh cover to 10 crore families.
The objective of the two-day consultation, which ended today, was to discuss with the states the details of the scheme, assess their preparedness, to learn from the states which already are implementing their own health insurance or assurance programmes, the health ministry said.
Six working groups -- on process, information technology, fraud detection and grievances, awareness generation, institutional arrangement, and continuum of care -- have been formed, it said in a statement.

The working group on processes will make recommendations on the details of various processes related to the NHPS. They will be incorporated in the broad operational guidelines, proposed to be issued for implementing the scheme.
The working group on information technology will recommend IT systems or platforms that will be used for effective implementation of the scheme.
The working group on fraud detection and grievances will recommend strategies to prevent and control potential frauds and abuse that may occur. The group will also recommend mechanism for complaint and grievance redressal at each level.

The working group on awareness generation will make recommendations to the Information, Education and Communication (IEC) agency on awareness activities.

The working group on institutional arrangement will recommend the institutional arrangements needed to be carried out for the implementation of the scheme.
The working group on continuum of care will define the scope and range of the continuum of care approach such that when the NHPS evolves over the years, the direction of this growth is pre-defined.
The NHPS scheme was announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget speech this month. The scheme, being touted as the world's largest health protection programme, aims to provide 10 crore families Rs 5 lakh cover per family annually for health care.