Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) was launched by Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India in 2008 to provide health insurance cover to Below Poverty Line population and informal sector workers of India. The objective of the scheme is to protect these families from shocks related to catastrophic expenditures on health by improving access to health and reducing out of pocket expenditure.
Main Features of RSBY
- This is a Smart Card based cashless and paperless social health insurance scheme.
- It provides annual hospitalisation cover up to Rs. 30,000 for a family of five members through health insurance companies.
- Families pay only a registration fee of Rs. 30 and get a RSBY smart card which helps in accessing empaneled hospitals across the country for in-patient treatment.
- Transportation expenses up to Rs. 1,000 per year are provided in cash for travelling to the hospital.
- All pre-existing diseases are covered from day one. There is no age limit to enrol in the scheme.
- 75 % of the cost (premium) of the scheme is borne by Central Government (90% in case of Jammu & Kashmir and North-Eastern States) and the rest is borne out by respective State government.
- State Governments can top-up the coverage amount beyond Rs. 30,000.
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