In a move likely to set new pricing standards for medical procedures in the country, the government-sponsored National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS), popularly known as Modicare, will offer common treatments such as coronary bypass, knee transplant and C-section at a rate which is around 15-20% lower than Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), which provides comprehensive medical care to government servants, pensioners and their dependants.
The health ministry has finalised the rates for 1,354 packages, which will be covered under NHPS. The packages include 23 specialties such as cardiology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, urology and oncology, etc, an official said.
The health insurance scheme aims to cover nearly 50 crore beneficiaries from over 10.74 crore “deprived” families as per socio-economic and caste census (SECC) data with an annual health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year. This cover will take care of almost all secondary care and most tertiary care procedures. There is no cap on family size and age in the scheme, ensuring that nobody is left out.
Read more of this in a report Sushm Dey published in The Times of India....
