- The health insurance scheme targets ALL people across 265 villages of Vijayawada
- In this family floater scheme, beneficiaries will pay a premium of rupee 1/day to get a cover of Rs. 1 lakh per family
- Entry to more than 100 hospitals. 60 private hospitals have been on boarded so far
Vijayawada, December 03, 2016: Tata Trusts launches a first-of-its-kind health insurance scheme, SWASTHA KUTUMBAM, for the marginalized communities in Vijayawada today. Following the concept of universal health coverage, the scheme is open to 1 million residents living in 2.5 lakh households across 265 villages in the parliamentary constituency of Vijayawada all irrespective of caste, creed, religion, or income levels. While 60 per cent target beneficiaries are below the age of 35, 75 per cent of these are daily wagers.
This scheme was announced in the presence of Shri Kesineni Srinivas, Hon’ble Member of Parliament from the parliamentary constituency Vijayawada and Shri Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao, Hon’ble Minister for Irrigation, Command Area Development & Water Resources Management and R Pavithrakumar, Head – Operations, Andhra Pradesh, Tata Trusts.
Speaking at the event, Shri Kesineni Srinivas, Hon’ble Member of Parliament from the parliamentary constituency Vijayawada, said, “One of the most successful interventions by Tata Trusts in recent years has been in Vijayawada, transforming 265 villages in the constituency. Launching Swastha Kutumbam initiative today will benefit 10 lakh people in 265 villages in collaboration with Tata Trusts. The Trusts are increasing their footprint in the region with various other interventions in the areas of nutrition, health, water and sanitation, digital initiatives, etc. I am thankful to Ratanji for his generosity and commitment for the development of Vijayawada.
R Pavithrakumar, Tata Trusts – Head, Operations – Andhra Pradesh said, “Our partnership with the Government of Andhra Pradesh is a progressive step towards addressing growing concerns of inaccessible and unaffordable healthcare which affects rural livelihoods and overall community development. The implementation of Swastha Kutumbam will empower people to seek healthcare at low costs and complement the existing government schemes. The success of this programme will pave the way for wider adoption and sustenance of universal health schemes.”
The main objective behind this scheme is to provide universal health care to the rural population of Vijayawada and replicating the same model across states. This area was chosen as a pilot to demonstrate that sustainable universal health coverage across a network of private hospitals is viable at minimal costs. This is crucial because government hospitals in India operate at full capacity round the year. Going forward, government hospitals will also be able to participate in this scheme. Around 60 Hospitals in and around the villages of Krishna Dist. have already been on boarded so far.
The scheme is part of a comprehensive initiative which began when Tata Trusts signed a MoU with the Government of Andhra Pradesh last August. This partnership has triggered sustained interventions in nutrition, healthcare, sanitation, drinking water facilities, rural internet, livelihoods, and education across the state. In a way, this intervention will add to Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri N Chandrababu Naidu’s Smart Village-Smart Ward programme which aims at people’s participation in every village for its comprehensive development.
Understanding the healthcare needs of people living in rural areas, Tata Trusts, has designed Swastha Kutumbam by controlling costs and ensuring that premium paid is lower than any other existing schemes in the state. In this family floater scheme, beneficiaries will pay a premium of rupee 1/day per person to get a cover of Rs. 1 lakh per family. Costs related to medicines, diagnostics, and post-surgery care will be covered. Besides, transportation cost incurred by the beneficiary is also taken care of by the scheme. With rehabilitation being a key to recovery, post-surgery costs are covered up to 60 days after the discharge. Tata Trusts has roped in Star Health Insurance as the insurance partner for Swastha Kutumbam.
