Government health insurance schemes are the best way to get financial protection, especially for those who cannot afford to pay high premiums for medical insurance plans. People below the poverty line cannot buy health insurance plans since they cannot afford to pay high premiums for various reasons. However, the government of India ensure to alleviate the burden of high medical bills by offering many health insurance schemes.
Health Insurance for Poor
Receiving high-quality medical care should be independent of your financial situation. Access to secondary and tertiary healthcare is something that everyone should have. Health insurance schemes can help with this. Most people believe that paying for health insurance is expensive. This is untrue, though. There are numerous health insurance plans available for those living in poverty.
To give health insurance coverage to low-income persons and those who are uninsured. The government has inaugurated the flagship National Health Protection Scheme for people below the poverty line. It will benefit approximately ten million impoverished and economically disadvantaged households. The national scheme gives annual coverage of INR 5 lakhs per household.
Health Insurance Plans for People Below Poverty Line
There are many health insurance plans for people below the poverty line introduced by the Indian government. Let us take a look at the following health insurance schemes for poor people:
- Awaz Health Insurance Scheme: The Kerala government started this health insurance scheme for migrant workers. The initiative started in 2017 and aimed at 5 lakh inter-state migrant labourers working in Kerala. Awaz Health Insurance provides INR 15000 in health insurance coverage and INR 2 lakh in death insurance coverage.
- Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana: Under this health yojana, the government will provide up to INR 30,000 coverage for a mere INR 200 premium. The yojana supports 48 distinct professions, primarily ones relating to fishing, carpentry, and waving.
- The Employees State Insurance Scheme: The primary goal of the Government of India's ESI scheme is to protect employees from certain health-related contingencies, such as permanent or temporary disability, illness, death due to an occupational disease or injury, which reduces the employee's ability to earn a living or results in income loss.
- Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana(MJPJAY): Jyotiba Mahatma One such health insurance programme developed by the Maharashtra government is Jan Arogya Yojana. Initially known as the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayee Arogya Yojana, the government changed this program's name on April 1, 2017. The primary goal of this coverage is to give policyholders with yellow or orange ration cards access to cheap, high-quality medical insurance. MJPJAY is an excellent initiative by the Maharashtrian government to provide affordable health insurance.
- Bhamashah Swasthya Bima Yojana: A medical insurance programme designed exclusively for those living in rural parts of the state of Rajasthan is called the Bhamashah Swasthya Bima Yojana. In addition to the previously indicated group, recipients of the Bhamashah Yojana may also be recipients of the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana and the National Food Security Act.
- Mukhyamantri Amrutam Yojana: In 2012, the Gujarati government introduced the Mukhyamantri Amrutum Yojana to benefit underprivileged citizens. Families in the lower middle class and those on the verge of poverty are eligible for this insurance. This programme gives a 3 lakh rupee annual family floater coverage.
- West Bengal Health Scheme: The West Bengal state government employees are eligible for this medical insurance scheme. It was launched in 2008 and provided the employee and their family with an amount guaranteed of INR 1 lakh. In some circumstances, the plan covers OPD treatments and surgery costs.
- Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY): A health insurance programme called the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) was created especially for Indians who work in the country's unorganised sectors. The unorganised sector employs over 93% of the entire labour in the nation.
Bottom Line
Even though our nation is thriving, there is a serious number of people below the poverty line that needs to be taken care of. These insurance schemes are one way to do it. It is essential to throw light on these government health schemes to spread awareness about the benefits to the poor. The many BPL health insurance programmes can significantly improve how well-off households handle a medical emergency.
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