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New Delhi, April 14: The four state owned general insurance companies — New India Assurance, United Insurance, Oriental Insurance and National — have been able to cover only about three lakh individuals under the universal health insurance scheme in fiscal 2004-05 as against a target of 10 lakh individuals. The scheme, which is being monitored by the health ministry, is targeted at below-poverty-line (BPL) families.
“The numbers are being currently compiled and we are yet to get the final score. However, it is way short of the target,” a source said. He added that there may be no alteration in the existing scheme, which has three different slabs with three levels of subsidy. For an individual, the government currently provides a subsidy of Rs 200 on an annual premium of Rs 365. For a family of five, the government provides Rs 300 and a family of seven enjoys a subsidy of Rs 400. The premia have been fixed at Rs 548 per annum and Rs 730 per annum.
“The main problem is penetration, which the government has to sort out,” the source pointed out. It is also learnt that a few private insurers may be asked to pitch in to make the scheme a success.
Sources in the insurance industry said that the government would finalise the nitty gritties of the scheme once the current Parliament session is over. The Centre may also rope in state governments to ensure better implementation of the scheme. “It is not possible to carry out this programme without the support of the state governments. The state governments may also have to bear part of the subsidy being provided to individuals coming under the BPL category,” he said. It is also looking at a proposal to lower the capital base from Rs 100 crore for health insurance companies.
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