Over 40,500 families in Mizoram have registered to avail health insurance under the state healthcare scheme, an official said on Monday.
The Mizoram State Health Care Scheme (MSHCS) was launched by the Mizo National Front (MNF) government headed by chief minister Zoramthanga on October 1 last year.
Under this scheme, beneficiaries are provided health insurance of up to Rs two lakh cover in a year.
Dr Biakthansangi, chief executive officer (CEO) of Mizoram state health care society, said a total of 40,561 beneficiaries or families, including 6,355 BPL families, have registered to avail health assistance under MSHCS till April this year.
She said that the government has extended registration for at least nine times and closed the process in May.
The final figure of beneficiaries is yet to be ascertained after calculation of beneficiaries, who have registered during the extended period in May, she said.
She also said that the present scheme is valid for one year up to September this year after which it will be renewed.
According to Biakthansangi, more than Rs 18.22 crore has been released to over 6,700 beneficiaries as health assistance from October, 2019 to May this year.
More than Rs one crore is yet to be released to about 392 beneficiaries next week, she said.
She said that the government has allocated Rs 20 crore each for the fiscal 2019-20 and 2020-21 under the state’s flagship programme-Socio-Economic Development Policy (SEDP) for the implementation of the health care scheme.
Beside assistance under the healthcare scheme, the government also released more than 13.73 crore to 3,459 government employees during the lockdown period from March to May as medical reimbursement against over Rs 11. 81 crore for three months (March to May) last year.
Of the 3,459 beneficiaries, 418 were those undergoing treatment outside the state, she said.
She said that the state healthcare scheme has greatly benefited the people.
Both the state healthcare scheme and medical reimbursement for employees were implemented smoothly despite the austerity measures undertaken by the state government to fight Covid-19 outbreak, she added.
There are two health care schemes being implemented in Mizoram. One is the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) scheme, which provide health assurance to beneficiaries up to Rs 5 lakh cover per year and the other one is MSHCS, which provide health assistance up to Rs 2 lakh cover per year. Both the schemes have come into effect from October 1 last year.
The MSHCS covers those BPL and APL families not covered under AB-PMJAY and family members of a government servant, who are not entitled to medical assistance.
Both the AB-PMJAY and MSHCS schemes are being implemented in all government hospitals and private hospitals across the state.