Health: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot assured every family in the state that they would get an insurance benefit of INR 5 lakh under the universal healthcare scheme (UHS) announced in the state budget.
While presenting the budget for FY 2021-22, the chief minister announced the Rajasthan Model of Public Health (RMPH), wherein a Right to Health Bill will be introduced with universal health coverage for five crore families, and an allocation of INR 3,500 crore in the upcoming financial year. The two initiatives are aimed at providing preventive, private, and curative care to all while reinforcing the state’s health infrastructure.
“Apart from people covered under Ayushman Bharat Mahatma Gandhi Rajasthan Swasthya Bima Yojana (ABMGRSBY), contract workers and small and marginal farmers can also avail this scheme for free,” Ashok Gehlot said. He added that all those not covered under UHS or ABMGRSBY could avail treatment of INR 5 lakh at any private and government hospital in the state by paying half the annual insurance premium of INR 850.
Other measures under RMPH include ensuring primary healthcare services within three kms or 30 minutes walking distance to each citizen, primary care within 12 kms, and so on. The bill also lays emphasis on the rights of patients, especially with respect to consent. Consent is expected to be made a prerequisite for any healthcare proposed for a person, and providers may have to keep patient records for up to two years and provide them to patients upon request.
Read this article on how universal healthcare can be achieved by leveraging technology, building care networks, and offering universal insurance.
