Plan to provide health cover has been awaiting cabinet approval since November 2016 despite Jaitley’s budget commitment and its subsequent reiteration by prime minister Narendra Modi that year in his Independence Day speech
Finance minister Arun Jaitley in Union Budget 2018-19 repeated an announcement he had first made in his 2016 Budget speech and was reiterated by prime minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech the same year. Only difference from the announcement two years ago was that this time be budgeted for it too; he announced a health and education cess. The proposal for a health protection scheme has been with the Union cabinet for more than a year now.
Jaitley in what he described as the first move towards Universal Health Coverage announced a health scheme for 10 crore families – 50 crore people with eligibility decided by the socio economic caste census.
Six months later, the commitment to universal health coverage was reiterated by prime minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2016, Modi said: “The health care services are getting costlier and hence today from the rampart of Red Fort, our government is announcing an important step for the health care of such families which are below the poverty line. We have brought a scheme that in future, for such poor families the government of India will incur an expenditure of upto 1 Lakh rupee so that my poor brothers are not deprived of health services and their dreams are not shattered.”
In 2016, here’s what Jaitley said. “Catastrophic health events are the single most important cause of unforeseen out-of-pocket expenditure which pushes lakhs of households below the poverty line every year. Serious illness of family members cause severe stress on the financial circumstances of poor and economically weak families, shaking the foundation of their economic security. In order to help such families, the Government will launch a new health protection scheme which will provide health cover up to Rs.One lakh per family. For senior citizens of age 60 years and above belonging to this category, an additional top-up package up to `30,000 will be provided.”
Six months later, the commitment to universal health coverage was reiterated by prime minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2016, Modi said: “The health care services are getting costlier and hence today from the rampart of Red Fort, our government is announcing an important step for the health care of such families which are below the poverty line. We have brought a scheme that in future, for such poor families the government of India will incur an expenditure of upto 1 Lakh rupee so that my poor brothers are not deprived of health services and their dreams are not shattered.”
Among the other announcements for health, Jaitley allocated Rs 600 crore for an incentive scheme for TB patients and a Rs 1200 crore allocation for preventive healthcare. Together with Rs 800 crore from states the total allocation for the next year would come to Rs 2000 crore.
According to the preventive health blueprint, the new centres — to be called “health and wellness centres” — will provide comprehensive maternal health care services at sites equipped to service as “delivery point”, neonatal and infant health care services, childhood and adolescent health care, contraceptive services, reproductive health care, management of communicable diseases, screening and comprehensive management of non-communicable diseases, basic ophthalmic care services, basic ENT care, screening and basic management of mental health ailments, basic dental health and geriatric health care.
