The following are some of the best health insurance policies offered by the Government of India:
1.Rashtriya Swasthiya Bima Yojana: The Ministry of Labour and Employment of the Indian Government launched the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana in an effort to provide health insurance to those who are Below Poverty Line. Individuals insured under the scheme receive cover against medical expenses (mainly hospitalisation) to the extent of Rs.30,000. The registration fees for the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana are Rs.30 which the beneficiaries will have to pay, and the Central and State governments make the premium payment to the health insurance provider. Generally, the state governments choose the schemes via a process of bidding. Under the scheme, up to 5 members of the family can be covered, including the head of the family and his/her spouse along with a maximum of 3 dependents. One of the biggest benefits of the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana is the cashless hospitalisation facility, provided treatment is availed at one of the network hospitals listed under the scheme.
2. Central Government Health Scheme: The Central Government Health Scheme offered by the Government of India provides medical insurance to Central Government employees along with their dependents. Pensioners are also eligible for this scheme. To avail this insurance, individuals must reside in cities that are covered under the Central Government Health Scheme. CHGS dispensaries, or wellness centres as they are also called, are present in a number of cities across the country so that beneficiaries can access Unani, Homeopathic, Ayurveda, Allopathic, Sidha, and Yoga system medicines.
3. Universal Health Insurance Scheme: The aim of the Universal Health Insurance Scheme is to offer healthcare access to poor families in India. 4 public sector general insurance companies collaborated to make this scheme available to Indian citizens. Under the Universal Health Insurance Scheme, the insured individual and his/her family is eligible for a reimbursement of Rs.30,000 for medical expenses incurred in case of hospitalisation. In case of the accidental demise of the breadwinner of the family, this scheme offers Rs.25,000 to the family of the individual as compensation. In addition, the family of the individual, in such cases, will also receive Rs.50 on a daily basis for 15 days after the demise of the breadwinner. The scheme is ideal for families that are Below Poverty Line. The fees for this scheme are Rs.200 for an individual, Rs.300 for families with up to 5 members, and Rs.400 for families with 7 members.
4. Employment State Insurance Scheme: The Employment State Insurance Scheme was designed to offer multi-dimensional healthcare security to employees and their families. The scheme provides complete healthcare to the insured individual as well as his/her dependents. The scheme also provides financial advantages to the insured and his/her family. A beneficiary is eligible for cash benefits if there is temporary or permanent disablement of the insured and he/she loses his/her earning capability. Usually, an organisation or a factory with 10 or more employees can choose the Employment State Insurance Scheme for its employees. Employees who earn less than Rs.21,000 per month will have to pay 1.75% of their wages towards the scheme, while the employer will contribute 4.75%.
5. Ayushman Bharat Yojana or Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana: This National Health Protection Scheme covers more than 10 crore poor families across India, offering a coverage of up to Rs.5 lakh per family per annum. The scheme’s benefits extends to all parts of India and those covered under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana can avail cashless benefits at any of the empanelled hospitals across India. This scheme offers cover to almost 40% of the Indian populace and covers all secondary as well as several tertiary hospitalisations.
