KOCHI: The number of people availing medical assistance through the Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi (KASP), the state government’s healthcare scheme implemented in partnership with the central government’s Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), is growing at a fast clip, indicating more awareness of the programme.
The number of KASP beneficiaries stood at 6.45 lakh in 2022-23, up from 5.77 lakh in 2021-22. Since the scheme’s launch in 2019, beneficiaries have received nearly Rs 4,630 crore towards medical expenses.
According to an official, the number of beneficiaries has increased in the post Covid period. This is expected to increase further in the coming years, thanks to increased awareness and popularity.
“Many people were unaware of the scheme and its benefits. However, the number of people who have accessed medical care through KASP has increased significantly since 2021 and the number is set to increase in the coming years,” said the official.
Under the scheme, enrolled families can avail up to Rs 5 lakh per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisations. “Repeated availing of benefits by members of the 42.5 lakh enrolled families alone is not responsible for increased expenditure. Healthcare costs have been skyrocketing, resulting in higher spending” said the official.
However, central government backing for the Ayushman Bharat-KASP initiative has been poor. “Of the total amount claimed, we received only 10% from the Centre in 2022-23. In 2021-22, it disbursed just 8.8%, and 16% in 2020-2021,” the official added.
KASP cover is provided across 197 public and private hospitals. In 2019-20, the scheme was implemented in insurance mode and it was shifted to assurance mode in July 2019.
When the central government launched the Ayushman-Bharat PMJAY scheme, the Kerala government adopted it as KASP by combining all its insurance schemes, such as Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RBSY), senior citizen health insurance scheme and Karunya Benevolent Fund.