THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government will launch a special enrolment drive to expand the coverage of the recently launched insurance scheme Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi (KASP). This to include genuine persons who were left out in the first phase of KASP. Also, those who would not be eligible for free enrolment, will be given an opportunity to join the scheme by paying the annual premium.
The KASP with a maximum health coverage of Rs 5 lakh is formed by integrating all healthcare and insurance schemes of the government, including the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat-Prime Minister’s Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and the state’s Karunya Benevolent Fund (KBF).
The beneficiaries in the first phase of KASP, launched on April 1, are members of the previous insurance schemes - the RSBY, CHIS and CHIS Plus. Express had earlier reported several genuine beneficiaries of the KBF, including 1,500-odd haemophilia patients, were not included in KASP.
Finance Minister Thomas Isaac told Express the KBF will be continued for a few more months until the special enrolment drive begins. “The Health Department will launch a separate scheme for haemophilia patients. Others will have the opportunity to join KASP during the enrolment drive,” he said.
“The second phase enrolment of KASP aims to include 12-15 lakh persons. This, together with the soon-to-be-launched MEDISEP, insurance scheme for government employees and pensioners, will help the government achieve the goal of universal coverage,” he added. Reliance General Insurance which quoted an annual premium amount of `1,671 is the insurance provider for KASP. A total of 1,824 health packages are offered under KASP when compared to 1,354 in AB-PMJAY. The total outlay of the new scheme is `684 crore of which the Centre will provide `136 crore. The total outlay for RSBY and CHIS in FY 19 was about ` 400 crore.