TN hikes health insurance cover to Rs 5 lakh

: The Tamil Nadu government has hiked the health insurance cover from Rs two lakh to Rs five lakh so as to benefit 1.58 crore families, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said Friday.

The scheme implemented in the state during the previous DMK regime was made more comprehensive after the AIADMK stormed back into power in 2011.

The revamped scheme was launched by the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on January 11, 2012 and the government issued 1.58 crore cards offering health insurance coverage for up to Rs two lakh to individuals.

"So far, 26.96 lakh persons have benefitted by availing insurance worth Rs 5,133.33 crore from the scheme," Palaniswami said in an official release.

The Chief Minister said following the requests made by the beneficiaries, he issued orders to increase the insurance cover to Rs 5 lakh from the existing Rs two lakh.

The new insurance coverage would come into effect from tomorrow and the families covered under the scheme can utilise it without paying any fee, he said.