Among the 16 states piloting Ayushman Bharat before its September 23 launch, Meghalaya has universalised the Rs 5 lakh annual hospitalisation coverage under the national health protection scheme in the state.
The state increased the cover to Rs 5 lakh by allocating an additional Rs 40 crore to its universal insurance scheme, under the Megha Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS), Rs 2.8 lakh annual cover was being provided to all families in Meghalaya.
“As Meghalaya is a hilly state, it will get 90% central assistance for the poor and vulnerable as identified by the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC). Since the state already spends Rs 60 crore on MHIS, we decided to raise the budget to Rs 100 crore and expand the new scheme,” said Meghalaya health minister A L Hek.
Hek said the health insurance coverage in Meghalaya is higher—over 50% — than the national average of 27% according to the National Health Profile 2017.
Read more of this in a report by Annona Dutt published in Hindustan Times....
