Govt launches awareness drive for insurance

CHENNAI: Facing strident criticism from the opposition over poor settlement of claims less than Rs 25 crore in the first quarter under the Kalaignar health Insurance Scheme, the state health department is working overtime to give smartcards to the beneficiaries besides organising special camps to get private hospitals to bring more patients.
Dismissing the charge that just a small number people enjoyed the benefits so far under the scheme, health minister MRK Panneerselvam hoped that the number of surgeries and settlement of claims would see a huge surge in the coming months."In any scheme, there are hiccups in the initial phase and this is no exception. It's a vast programme and we have come across some hitches. But we are speeding up the process now. Isn't it a great achievement photographing 80 lakh families across the state in a short period of two months," he retorted.
Panneerselvam said the scheme has started gaining momentum now. Pooh-poohing allegations that the private insurance company will benefit over the scheme rather than the poor patients, the Minister said "It's a figment of imagination and a baseless one. In fact, I'm expecting that the settlement of claims would be Rs one crore to Rs 1.5 crore a day in the coming weeks. You can see the impact in two months." On a daily basis the Star health insurance receives authorisation requests for 500 to 600 cases.
Though the government had announced that the scheme would cover one crore families, the number is likely to reach 1.5 crore.
Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad launched the scheme on July 23 in the presence of chief minister M Karunanidhi, who is monitoring the implementation of the scheme on a daily basis. So far, 82 lakh families with an annual income of less than Rs 72,000 have been identified and photographed. As many as 29 lakh smart cards, containing a micro chip that carries the photograph and thumb impression of the family members, have been distributed so far. "We are quickening the process and all the families will get the ID card by end of this year," said S Vijayakumar, project director of TN health systems project.
The state government had issued orders last week roping in all government medical college hospitals into the scheme as empanelled hospitals. The money paid by the insurance companies will be used to improve the facilities in hospitals and as incentives to the doctors and staff.
"The main idea is to increase the number of surgeries. The government hospital can buy equipment and implants from the money," Panneerselvam said.
Referring to the delay in issuing pre-authorisation by the insurance company to hospitals to go ahead with surgical procedure, Vijayakumar said it had earlier taken seven days time and this reduced to three days now. "We will see to it that the approval is given the same day that the request is received," he remarked. Ends