Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh launched a new health scheme, Arogya Raksha Scheme on January 1, 2017 at Tummalapalli Kalakshetram in Vijayawada to provide the medical treatment to the people of the Above Poverty Line at Rs. 1200 premium per annum.
- Aim: The main objective of Arogya Raksha scheme is to cover the Above Poverty Line (APL) families in the state and provide them the health insurance and ensure “Health for All” by providing them insurance coverage at a negligible premium amount.
- While launching the scheme, the CM said that the scheme aims to make Andhra Pradesh as “Arogyandhra Pradesh” and the state government aims to achieve the ambitious target of making the state among top three best developed state in the country by 2020 and first best developed state by 2050.
- The Chief Minister dedicated the two schemes, Arogya Raksha and Swasta Vidya Vahini- launched at 222 places to provide nutritious food to students in the state on December 24, as the New Year Gift to the state.
Features of Arogya Raksha Scheme
The Arogya Raksha Scheme would provide health insurance coverage to about 35 Lakh Above Poverty Line families in the state.
- Under the scheme, an end-to-end cashless service would be rendered to a total of 1044 diseases covered under the scheme. Unlike other insurance schemes pre existing disease will not be considered.
- To avail the Arogya Raksha scheme benefits, every individual of the family would be required to pay Rs. 100 per month or Rs. 1200 per annum as policy premium.
- A total of 432 hospitals including 80 government general hospitals have been enrolled for the implementation of the scheme.
- The scheme would provide an insurance coverage of up to Rs. 2 Lakh per annum and free treatment in any 432 corporate hospitals in the state.
- Under Arogya Raksha Scheme, the government is also providing free medical treatments to government employees and Journalists of the state Andhra Pradesh.
- The new born can be registered under the Scheme by paying Rs.100/- per month for the remaining financial months while the newly married couple either the wife or husband belongs to other state can be registered under one family by paying the entire annual premium.
Registration for the Scheme
To avail the benefit of Arogya Raksha scheme interested applicants should enroll themselves into the scheme between January 1-February 28, 2017. The coverage period would however start from 1st April 2017. The applicants should approach Mee Seva centers across the state to enroll their names.
- Registration can be done through http://www.ntrvaidyaseva.ap.gov.in.
- There are a total of 5481 Mee Seva Centers across the state where the application forms for Arogya Raksha scheme can be filled.
- Arogya Raksha scheme would be linked to the Aadhar Number of the beneficiaries and in order to avail the cashless treatment through the scheme, the applicant would need to show the Aadhar number at any of the listed private and government hospitals.
Fund for the scheme
- The World Health Organisation, Bill Gates Foundation and other noted health organizations would support the government in implementing this scheme.
- The scheme is estimated to cost Rs 160.56 crore and the government would sanction the necessary allocations for the scheme in the budget session 2017-2018. .
