Which Health Insurance Plan to Purchase for Individuals Below Poverty Line?

The need for proper health care is imperative. Regardless of their social or financial position, everyone deserves proper healthcare at the right time. This can be ensured with the help of a robust health insurance plan. However, it might be intimidating for people who are not that financially well off, to purchase one. Nevertheless, there are many health insurance plans that are suitable to be bought by individuals below the poverty line. Take a look at some of them, there are nationwide schemes as well as regional ones that are available. 

1. Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana

The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana is a government of India scheme to provide for below poverty line policyholders. It was introduced by the Ministry of Labor and Entertainment and is available for the family members of workers in the unorganized sectors. Under this policy, policyholders will have to pay below Rs 50 for the renewal of the policy only. The rest of it, with an annual policy of Rs 750 is paid by the government. The health insurance policy is a pretty comprehensive one with benefits such as in-patient cover, transportation costs cover and more, even covering pre-existing diseases. 

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2.Universal Health Insurance Scheme

Unlike most health insurance policies that are available for people below the poverty line, which are made by the government, this health insurance policy has been launched by four public-sector insurance companies. There is a family floater facility that is available when the sum insured touches the Rs 30,000 mark. Among the many covers that it has presented, some of the most important ones include loss of income cover, accidental death cover, maternity cover and much more. The premium amount is usually below Rs 500 and depends on the number of family members that are insured under the policy. There are government subsidies present on the premium amount as well. 

3. Mukhyamantri Amrutum Yojana

As apparent from its name, this is a state-wide health insurance policy that has been made available by the Gujarat government. It is available for all families whose income puts them below the poverty line. Among the many covers that are present, there are common ones such as ambulance and transportation costs, pre and post-hospitalization costs. Moreover, critical illness procedures such as organ transplants are especially attended to, with this health insurance policy. It is done so by an increased sum assured option. 

4.Karunya Health Insurance Scheme

This one has been introduced by a state government, the government of Kerala. It is especially aimed at providing cover for critical diseases. Moreover, there is also a facility for increasing the sum assured amount in case the actual treatment exceeds the initial amount. The premium amount to support these policies is paid by the state government, which raises the money through a lottery system.

Endnotes

It is true that those who are underprivileged and marginalized get significantly less access to basic healthcare than others in society. However, for the larger welfare of the entire state, it is imperative that they too get access to adequate healthcare. Most of them only have a minimal registration or renewal fees to maintain them. This is why it is also important that awareness be spread about the health insurance policies that are available for people below the poverty line so that everyone is equally benefited from them. 

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Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.