Mysuru:  The State Government, in order to provide health and emergency health services to everyone, introduced a new universal health coverage scheme ‘Arogya Karnataka’ on Mar.2, 2018 and now it has passed an order on July 9 to subsume ‘Yeshasvini’ health scheme under this new scheme.

The Health and Family Welfare Department has decided to provide for all residents of Karnataka State, primary health care, normal secondary health care, complex secondary health care, tertiary health care and emergency health care through this universal health coverage scheme.

In order to provide health care to the members of Co-operative Societies, the government had introduced ‘Yeshasvini’ scheme in 2003. The rural members who paid Rs.300 a year and the urban members Rs.710 a year came under this scheme. Majority of the farmers, daily wagers and members of the various Co-operative Unions were being treated free of cost in Government and select private hospitals.

Subsuming of existing schemes: In order to bring the previous health schemes under the universal health scheme, the existing schemes like Yeshasvini, Vajpayee Arogyashree Scheme, Rajiv Arogya Bhagya Scheme, Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) including RSBY for senior citizens, Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), Mukhyamantri Santwana Harish Scheme and Indira Suraksha Yojane have been subsumed under ‘Arogya Karnataka.’

Arogya Karnataka limits: Free treatment or with minimum service fee will be provided at all government hospitals in the new scheme under which Yeshasvini is subsumed. If the particular treatment is not available in Government Hospitals then through referral it is possible to get treatment in the registered private hospitals.

Eligible patients: Those who are eligible for the ‘Arogya Karnataka’ health scheme must be residents of Karnataka State, coming under definition of “Eligible Household” under the National Food Security Act, 2013, or does not produce the eligible household card. Those who do not have BPL (Below Poverty Line) card will be considered as general patients and treated.

Except a few categories that have been excluded, the State’s 6.5 crore population are eligible for 1,516 types of treatment.

Enrolment of patients: There shall be a one-time enrolment of patients, on an IT portal to be established by Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust (SAST) as part of e-Hospital application, as and when they approach any PHI for treatment for the first time.

A patient approaching an empanelled private hospital in case of emergency without a referral from a PHI can be enrolled at the private hospital also on the SAST portal.

The enrolment shall be based on Aadhaar and PDS Card, of which, Aadhaar shall be mandatory. On successful enrolment based on Aadhaar authentication, a unique identity number, ARKID, shall be generated and a health card called “Arogya Karnataka Card” shall be provided to the patient at the enrolment counter on payment of fee of Rs.10 and Aug.31 has been fixed as the last day for getting the health card. For details of enrolment, call helpline 104 or 1800-4258-3300.

Cost of treatment: Financial assistance up to Rs.30,000 per annum will be provided for specified complex secondary healthcare treatment to a family of up to five persons.

In the event of the family requiring specified tertiary healthcare treatment, this annual limit will be increased to Rs.1.5 lakh per annum.