Andhra discards BPL norms, allows universal health for car-owning families

With this, more than 90% of households in the state are now covered under the scheme

A family or a household that owns a personal car is also now eligible for the universal health coverage in Andhra Pradesh according to the revised eligibility criteria issued for the 'Dr YSR Arogya Sri' scheme by the state government on Friday.

These new eligibility guidelines completely replace the existing norms under which only families below the poverty line could avail the state government's universal health cover.

Besides families owning a single personal car, households with annual income up to Rs 5 lakh, income tax assessees with income of up to Rs 5 lakh, land owners or farmers who own