Electronic Smart cards were distributed to BPL workers in the unorganised sector as the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) scheme kicked off in the Union territory on Friday.
Launching the health insurance scheme, Welfare Minister P Rajavelu said that the scheme would provide health insurance cover to 15,142 workers and their 61,526 family members. The smart cards entitled the beneficiaries to cashless treatment in designated hospitals.
The scheme was being implemented through United India Insurance Company. The government of Puducherry had nominated Puducherry Building and other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board as the nodal agency for implementation of the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana scheme in the Union Territory.
The central government contributes 75 per cent of the annual premium (maximum of `565 per family per annum) and the UT contributes 25 percent (`85 per annum per family).
The government has constituted a Health Insurance Scheme Support Cell to prepare draft proposal on the schedule of treatment of diseases and hospitals to be empanelled under RSBY scheme.
The Commissioner of Labour has been appointed as Chairman of the cell and Labour officer (Board) as member secretary.