Question : NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME

(a) the status of implementation of Rashtriya Swasthaya Bima Yojana, in the country including Punjab;

(b) the number of people enrolled and given smart cards under the scheme;

(c) the list of hospitals empanelled under the scheme in the country including Punjab;

(d) the names of insurance companies providing Health Insurance, under the scheme in the country including Punjab;

(e) whether the Government has launched a National Health Insurance Scheme which has been restricted to a particular strata of society;

(f) if so, the percentage of population benefited there-under till December, 2010; and

(g) whether the Government proposes to cover all the citizens of this country under this scheme and if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI MALLIKARJUN KHARGE)

(a) to (g): The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) providing for smart card based cashless health insurance cover of Rs. 30000 to BPL families (a unit of five) in the unorganized sector is being implemented in 25 States/ Union Territories including Punjab. More than 2.31 crore BPL families (a unit of five) have been covered as on 28.02.2010. The list of hospitals empanelled under the scheme is at Annexure-I. The list of insurance companies providing health insurance under the scheme in the country is at Annexure-II.

The Government propose to cover all BPL families constituting around 27% of the population by 2012-2013. The scheme is also being extended to other occupational groups including Above Poverty Line (APL) population in a phased manner. It has been extended to building & other construction workers, licensed railway porters, vendors and hawkers who are from the unorganised sector and are socially challenged and street vendors. The Government is planning to extend the scheme to such Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme (MNREGS) workers who have completed 15 days or more during previous financial year.