Madhya Pradesh govt starts health insurance scheme for staff

The Madhya Pradesh government has given its 12.55 lakh employees a new year bonanza by approving a health insurance scheme, Minister Tulsi Silawat said on Sunday. The Mukhyamantri Karmachari Swasthya Bima Yojana was approved in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Saturday.

Scheme to be effective from April 1

"The scheme will be effective from April 1 and will make every government employee and their families eligible for medical treatment worth Rs 5 lakh annually. For some critical diseases, the eligibility will be enhanced to Rs 10 lakh," he added. "All permanent and contractual employees, teachers, retired employees, home guards and others getting salary from contingency fund will reap the benefits of this scheme.

Staff of autonomous institutions of the state will also be covered," he said. Silawat said employees of corporations, boards and officers of all India service can also opt for the scheme, adding it was tailored on the lines of the All India service adopted by some states. He said state government employees and pensioners were earlier not covered under a medical scheme and only regular employees had medical reimbursement facility.