Odisha: Naveen announces to expand Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana

BHUBANESWAR: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday announced to expand state’s flagship health assurance scheme Biju Swasthya Kalyna Yojana (BSKY) to cover 96 lakh families—up from the current around 71.69 lakh families.
Around 3.5 crore people of the state’s total 4.5 crore population will soon get Smart Health Cards under the scheme.
Announcing this at the state level celebration of 75th Independence Day here, Naveen said the initiative will transform health service delivery system and create history in the health sector of the country. He said the move will usher in a new era in state’s health sector.
“All the people of entire Odisha are my family. The news of people selling land, jewellery or stop sending children to school to manage their treatment costs pains me. Therefore, I decided that this type of distress must go. People should get hassle free quality treatment at best available health care facilities. So Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana was redesigned to provide Smart Health Cards to people that will work as debit cards for a certain amount,” Naveen said.
Odisha has not implemented Centre’s flagship scheme, Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and has instead launched its own scheme BSKY three years ago on August 15, 2018.
Government sources said the cards will be given to all the beneficiaries in phased manner from September 1. The eligibility criteria have been revised to include all beneficiaries of National and State Food Security Schemes, Annapurna and Antodaya Anna Yojana beneficiaries for inclusion in the scheme.
So far beneficiaries of Biju Krushak Kalyan Yojana, below poverty line (BPL) and Antyodaya card holders and those with income below Rs 2 lakh were included under the BSKY were part of the scheme.
While each family can avail treatment cost up to Rs 5 lakh per annum, women members can avail this benefit up to Rs 10 lakh every year. The beneficiaries can avail health services in more than 200 hospital chains in and outside Odisha.
The government has empanelled 183 hospitals within the state and 17 hospitals outside. The government would empanel more hospitals of national repute outside the state to provide cashless care to BSKY card holders.
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