NEW DELHI: The Centre on Thursday reviewed the implementation of Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and decided to expand the ambit of health insurance scheme to more segments of the unorganised workers.
The meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, reviewed the implementation of the health insurance scheme and felt the need for extending it to few more segments of unorganised workers in view of the success in its implementation.
The scheme was launched on October 2007 as the health insurance scheme for families living below the poverty line and was made operational on April 2008. The scheme was extended to building and other construction workers, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act beneficiaries, street vendors, beedi workers and domestic workers last year.
Under the scheme, beneficiaries are entitled to smart card-based cashless health insurance cover of `30,000 per family per annum on a family floater basis. About 2.57 crore smart cards are active and more than 29.25 lakh persons have availed hospitalisation facilities in 24 states and Union Territories. While the Centre contributes 75 per cent of the annual premium of the scheme and the states’ share is 25 per cent. The beneficiary family has to pay only `30 per annum per family as registration and renewal fee. Administrative cost is borne by the state governments.