Dr YSR Aarogyasri Scheme Details: Features, Benefits and Application Process

In today’s time, everyone has the right to affordable healthcare. However, many people cannot afford necessary medical treatment due to financial limitations. A large percentage of the Indian population lives in poverty and rural areas where access to high-quality medical care is a luxury. In such a scenario, Dr. YSR Aarogyasri Health Insurance Scheme stands out as a ray of hope for millions of families in Andhra Pradesh.

This scheme was launched in 2007 and is named after Late Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. It aims to provide high-quality medical treatment to families falling into low-income bracket groups or below the poverty line families. This unique scheme provides cashless services for identifying diseases under secondary and tertiary care with the network of government and private sector health insurance companies. This scheme is managed by Aarogyasri Health Care Trust, which issues an Aarogyasri Card that allows easy management to address primary care through free screening and outpatient consultation.

The treatment is provided in 2,513 hospitals, covering around 4.25 crore people, and the annual coverage is up to Rs 25 lakh. In this article, we will discuss the scheme, its objectives, eligibility, and application process in detail. 

Objectives of Dr YSR Aarogyasri Scheme

The primary objectives of this health insurance scheme are:

1. To improve access to quality healthcare services for the urban and rural poor in Andhra Pradesh
2. Provide financial protection to BPL families against catastrophic health expenses
3. Strengthen Government Hospitals through demand-side financing
4. To promote health-seeking behaviour and to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare expenses.

Benefits of the Aarogyasri Health Scheme

Aarogyasri is a comprehensive health protection plan designed to avoid any delay in necessary medical treatments due to financial limitations. Below mentioned are some of the highly beneficial features of this scheme: [2]

• Cashless healthcare: With cashless healthcare, you can directly visit a network hospital, show your Aarogyasri card and get the treatment you need without any payments. The government settles the bill with the hospital. This unique feature makes sure that lack of money is never a hindrance to getting necessary medical care.
• In-Patient Care: This scheme covers a varied number of diseases along with hospital room charges, doctor’s fees, medicines, tests, or any other related expenses during hospitalisation.
  
• Out-Patient Treatment: While the main focus of Aarogyasri is on in-patient care, it also covers some of the outpatient treatments. Post-operative care after primary treatments is necessary for proper recovery and is covered under this scheme without any additional cost. It can be availed for the listed disease at regular health camps and network hospitals.
  
• Pre-existing Disease cover: Aarogyasri is different from other insurance plans as it covers pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or even cancer. This is quite helpful for people who are living with chronic conditions and are not able to get proper insurance coverage due to monetary limitations.
  
• Follow-up treatment cover: Many conditions require ongoing care, checkups or additional treatments. Aarogysri helps provide proper follow-up treatments for a specific period after the primary treatments, for example, post-operative care, doctor visits, medicines, etc. This helps in making sure that your recovery is complete without the tension of rising medical costs.
  
• Family floater cover: It provides a shared pool of protection of Rs 25 lakh per year to the beneficiary and the whole family rather than setting a limit individually. This feature makes sure that the whole family is protected and that coverage can be used where it is most needed up to a certain limit, which can be used by any member of the family. 

List of Coverage in Dr. YSR Aarogyasri Scheme

After hospitalisation, patients can enjoy free admission, doctor consultations, and nursing services. Medical & diagnostic tests, surgery. Breakfast and lunch, along with ten days of medicines on discharge from the hospital, are also provided. If you do not have any means to reach home, additional charges for home departure are also covered. [2]

The major medical speciality covers various treatment procedures as follows:

Exclusions: 

Medical Conditions and Procedures not covered under this government health insurance Scheme: [2]

1. Knee replacement surgeries
2. Gamma- Knife procedures in neurosurgery
3. Medical treatments related to bone marrow
4. Chronic infectious diseases such as Leprosy, Filaria, HIV/AIDS, and Tuberculosis.
5. Cardiac Transplants and assisted devices for cardiac Failures.
6. Liver Transplantations
7. Common infectious diseases like Malaria and Gastroenteritis

Eligibility Criteria For The YSR Aarogyasri Scheme

Below are the prerequisites to enrol in the Dr YSR Aarogyasri scheme:

The Application Process of Dr YSR Aarogyasri Scheme

If you have a white ration card (BPL card), you are automatically covered by the Dr YSR Aarogyasri Health Insurance Scheme. You do not need to enrol separately, as you are automatically covered under this scheme. However, if you need to apply, follow the simple steps:

ONLINE

Step 1: Go to the Dr. YSR Aarogyasri website

Step 2: Sign in to your account using your ID and password
Step 3: look for the application form on the website. Fill in the information thoroughly, and make sure to double-check. 

Step 4: attach the relevant documents and submit the form. Download the fully filled form for your future reference. 

Step 5: wait for the confirmation of your successful enrollment. 

OFFLINE

Step 1:  Visit the official website and click on YSR Aarogya Health Card Performa

Step 2:  Print the YSR Aarogyasri Scheme Application form and fill it out with all the necessary information. 

Step 3:  Submit the form to the concerned department along with supporting documents. 

Step 4: once all the information is verified, beneficiaries can collect their YSR Health Card. 

Documents required

1. Aadhar card
2. Address proof
3. Income certificate or ITR documents
4. BPL Certificate or White Ration Cards

Claim Process of YSR Aarogyasri Health Scheme

Dr. YSR Aarogyasri portal has simplified the claim process for its beneficiaries. You do not need to go through a lengthy process, which is required for commercial health insurance. 

Once you are enrolled, you will receive a YSR Aarogyasri Health Card, which can be given to Vaidhya Mitra for treatment at network hospitals. You can provide the card number without a physical card, but keeping a soft copy of the card with you is always recommended. If you do not have the card number available with you then, contact Aarogyasri Trust and get the information required by providing them with basic information about yourself. 

Conclusion

The Dr. YSR Aarogyasri Health Insurance Scheme provides necessary medical facility access to millions of people in Andhra Pradesh through its broad coverage and cashless hospital feature. It also offers automatic enrollment for BPL families, which comes as a saviour for their hard times. While Aarogyasri helps in covering necessary medical care, InsuranceDekho can help you explore such government initiatives to make informed decisions for both you and your family. Be informed and make the right decisions for your future. No matter your financial situation, you should always plan for the future wisely.