CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has announced that the treatment for COVID-19 in private hospitals will be covered under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS). This means those covered under this scheme can avail treatment for COVID-19 in private hospitals that are empanelled under the scheme without making any payment, according to the government statement.
A statement from the health minister C Vijaya Baskar on Thursday said that Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has issued an order in this regard. The statement said, “The Health Department constituted a committee to work on package rate for private hospitals. The committee submitted its report with certain conditions. After careful analysis the government fixed the fee.”
For asymptomatic and mild cases in Grade A1 to A4 multi speciality hospitals, the rate will be Rs 5,000 per day in the general ward. For Intensive Care Unit with all facilities, it will be Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 in Grade AI and A2 hospitals and Rs 9,000 to 13,500 in Grade A3 and A4 hospitals.
The grading is given by the government based on the infrastructure, bed strength and other facilities at the hospital.
The government also laid out a few conditions. The empanelled hospitals should allot 25 percent of their total bed strength to patients covered under the CMCHIS.
Beneficiaries of the CMCHIS need not pay any money to the hospitals. Hospitals which charge more than the rate fixed by the government will be suspended from the empanelled hospital list under the CMCHIS.
For further details and complaints, people can contact the toll free number 18004253993.
Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association's Tamil Nadu branch welcomed the move and said it was one of their long pending demands to cover the cost of the treatment under CMCHIS.
Residents of Tamil Nadu whose annual income is less than Rs 72,000 are eligible for the scheme. It may be noted that the Tamil Nadu government hiked the health insurance cover from Rs two lakh to Rs five lakh.
However, the state is yet to make an official announcement on fixing the cost of treatment for COVID-19 in private hospitals.