KOCHI: The Labour Department's initiative to renew and issue health insurance cards is progressing fast in Ernakulam district.
A statement from the District Information Office (DIO) said Ernakulam witnessed the highest distribution of health insurance cards in the state.According to officers, insurance cards are being distributed at the panchayat, municipality and corporation levels. Cards have been issued to 1,95,868 families holding existing cards, 36,540 families which had applied for renewal and 59,179 families which could not renew the cards in 2016.
Having commenced on March 8, the effort has managed to cover a substantial number of families in the district.Smart cards have been provided to 1,81,288 families holding existing insurance cards. As many as five members of a health insurance card-holding family can avail free medical treatment worth Rs 30,000 under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana. Similarly, medical treatment worth Rs 70,000 can be availed with health insurance cards for diseases like cancer, kidney and liver ailments.
Two elderly persons in the family can avail additional Rs 30,000 treatment using the card.As part of the second phase, insurance cards will be provided to all families in the district.