HYDERABAD: By and large, the National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS) has been welcomed. Does introduction of this scheme mean the Telangana’s Aarogyasri Scheme would be scrapped?
Officials from the Telangana Health department said modalities of the NHPS are not worked out yet and nothing can be said about comparison between the two schemes. The scheme aims at covering 10 crore poor and vulnerable families by providing coverage of up to `5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.
Under the Aarogyasri Scheme-a community health insurance scheme- financial assistance of up to `2 lakhs a year is provided to families living below poverty line, to treat ailments which require hospitalisation and surgery. Former Union Health Secretary K Sujatha Rao said that NHPS is a extremely bold leap and it will take at least three to four years for its implementation.