BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launched the state’s flagship Universal Health Coverage scheme Arogya Karnataka here on Friday that is expected to cost the state exchequer Rs 1,011 crore a year. At present, the existing seven health schemes are costing the health department Rs 730 crore. The Chief Minister said this is a first-of-its-kind in India and will cover 1.43 crore families.
Health Minister Ramesh Kumar said, unlike Centre’s Modicare (National Health Protection Scheme), patients will not be at the mercy of the insurance companies for treatment under Arogya Karnataka. “Citizens’ money is going to be with the government,” he said.
All the citizens of Karnataka who do not have any kind of health coverage, either in the Government or private health schemes or insurance (they have to sign an undertaking to this effect at the enrolment counter), can get enrolled under the Arogya Karnataka scheme. Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust will run the scheme for the government.
Ajay Seth, additional health secretary, department of health and family welfare, told The New Indian Express, “From Monday, the scheme will be rolled out in 10 hospitals across the state where citizens can get Arogya Karnataka Card. Each hospital will have four counters. By the end of December, it will be expanded to all government hospitals.”
The card will be issued to patients on payment of Rs 10 and after their biometric verification (fingerprint scans). Five citizens were given their UHC cards by CM Siddaramaiah on Friday during the launch. In Bengaluru, citizens can go to Jayadeva, PMSSY or KC General Hospital in Malleswaram to get enrolled/treated in UHC.
A government order in this regard was issued on March 1 and by the end of June 30th this year, it will be rolled out in other 33 major and district-level hospitals. By the end of September, it will be rolled out to taluk-level hospitals and to community health centres by October and to primary health centres by December.
COST OF TREATMENT TO BE BORNE BY GOVT
Rs 30,000 per annum will be provided for specified complex secondary healthcare treatment to a family of up to five persons
In the event of the family requiring specified tertiary healthcare treatment, this annual limit will be increased to K1.5 lakh per annum
For any family needing specified emergency tertiary healthcare treatment even after full utilisation of the annual limit, additional assistance of K50,000 will be provided