Meghalaya launches an enhanced version of Megha Health Insurance Scheme

From Staff Correspondent

Shillong, May 5: Government of Meghalaya has signed an agreement with New India Assurance Company Ltd, a general insurance scheme in India, to roll out the phase-2 of the Megha Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS-2) to provide a comprehensive and universal health insurance cover to the entire population of the state. This is an enhanced version of the innovative MHIS-I scheme that was launched in 2012 and became one of the first successfully implemented universal social health insurance schemes in India.

 The agreement was signed today in Shillong between M. R. Synrem, CEO, Megha Health Insurance Scheme and Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare and Mr. L. Buam, Sr. Divisiol Mager, New India Assurance Company Ltd, in the presence of Dr. Mukul Sangma, Chief Minister, AL Hek, Health Minister,  Sengm Marak, Parliamentary Secretary and Cherak Momin, Parliamentary Secretary.

 “I am happy to launch the enhanced scheme with broader coverage with the intent to lighten the burden of the families affected by unforeseen hospitalization and medical treatments. This is in continuation of our commitment to fulfill the promises made to our beloved people to provide access to quality health care services”, said Mr. Mukul Sangma.

 “MHIS-2 will cover a broad variety of diseases including high impact preventive and outpatient services to women and children and also provide greater fincial cover to families to cover expensive and long term medical expenses from chronic and life style diseases”, said MR Synrem.  New India Assurance Company was selected as the insurer after a competitive bidding process where 10 of the leading health insurance companies of India submitted bids. A joint IFC and World Bank team was the lead technical and transaction advisor to Meghalaya’s department of Health and Family Welfare, and the MHIS State nodal agency for RSBY.

 MHIS-II is a ground breaking initiative of the GoM that has been designed in convergence mode with the Govt. of India existing health insurance scheme – Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yoja (RSBY). While the RSBY provides Rs. 30,000 cover to only Below Poverty Line families MHIS provides enhanced coverage up to Rs. 2,00,000 to all the families of the state in addition to provide a top-up for BPL families under RSBY. Residence of Meghalaya will now be able to avail a comprehensive spectrum of health services including super specialty treatment, advanced diagnostics, comprehensive outpatient services for pregnt women and children and long term consultation and treatment services for life style diseases such as diabetes and heart diseases on a cash less and free of cost basis subject to limits.

 Continuing with the innovations spear headed by the earlier MHIS, the MHIS –II has been designed to fully integrate with the existing public health system in Meghalaya. The scheme will also significantly expand the number and quality of specialty and super-specialty hospitals available to the people of Meghalaya by requiring the empanelment of at least 14 super-specialty hospitals across major metropolitan cities in India with emphasis on tiol Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (BH) accredited hospitals.

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