The Mukhyamantri Ayushman Arogya Yojana, formerly known as the Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Swasthya Yojana, was launched in Rajasthan on May 1, 2021, marking a significant step towards achieving 'Universal Health Coverage' across the state. This initiative aims to alleviate the burden of substantial medical expenses for all residents, guaranteeing access to high-quality healthcare for the treatment of ailments and critical illnesses, free from financial constraints.
Building upon Rajasthan's history of proactive healthcare initiatives, such as the successful implementation of free medicines and diagnostic tests in government facilities, the state government has further expanded its commitment to 'Universal Health Coverage' through the Mukhyamantri Ayushman Arogya Yojana. This health insurance scheme, a collaborative effort involving both government and private hospitals, is designed to significantly reduce the financial strain on families during hospital admissions and when seeking essential health services.
What is the Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Swasthya Yojana (now Mukhyamantri Ayushman Arogya)?
The Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Swasthya Yojana is a health insurance scheme aimed at providing comprehensive health coverage to economically vulnerable families. Under the Chiranjeevi Yojana, beneficiaries receive financial assistance for medical treatments, including hospitalisation and surgeries, at empaneled hospitals. This initiative aims to improve access to quality healthcare and reduce out-of-pocket expenses for low-income households, ensuring better health outcomes for those in need.
Overview of Chief Minister Chiranjeevi Scheme (now Chief Minister Ayushman Arogya)
Feature |
Details |
Scheme Name |
Chief Minister Chiranjeevi Yojana (now Chief Minister Ayushman Arogya) (Earlier known as Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme.) |
State |
Rajasthan |
Status |
Active |
Launch Date |
From May 1, 2021 |
Renamed On |
February 19, 2024 |
Sum Insured/Coverage |
₹ 25 Lakh + ₹ 10 Lakh Accident Cover |
Eligibility |
BPL families registered in SECC 2011, NFSA and Jan Aadhaar Card holders, Small farmers, Contract employees of all departments, EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) |
Official Website |
|
Hospitals Covered |
All Government and affiliated private hospitals |
Objectives of the scheme
The Mukhyamantri Ayushman Arogya Yojana (formerly known as the Chiranjeevi Scheme) was initiated with the core objectives of:
- Alleviating healthcare costs for eligible families within Rajasthan.
- Ensuring access to quality and specialized medical care through a network of empanelled private hospitals, in addition to government facilities, for beneficiary families.
- Providing free treatment for a wide range of illnesses and medical procedures covered under the scheme's defined packages for eligible residents of the state, including access to expensive surgeries and treatments without any financial burden. This aims to offer robust health insurance coverage to even the most economically vulnerable families in Rajasthan.
Features of Chief Minister Chiranjeevi Scheme (now Chief Minister Ayushman Arogya)
Here are the key features of the Chief Minister Ayushman Arogya Yojana (formerly Chief Minister Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme)-
- Launched On: May 1, 2021, expanding upon the Ayushman Bharat-Mahatma Gandhi Rajasthan Health Insurance Scheme (effective January 30, 2021).
- Beneficiary Enrollment: Based on the Jan Aadhaar database, with eligibility for free coverage or through premium payment.
- Free Category Eligibility: Includes families under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011, contractual state government employees, small and marginal farmers, and destitute families who received COVID-19 relief in the preceding year.
- Premium-Based Enrollment: Other non-government employee/pensioner families (not availing medical attendance rules benefits) can enroll by paying a specified premium.
- Coverage Scope: Valid for In-patient Department (IPD) and Out-patient Department (OPD) procedures.
- Extensive Package Range: Offers 1798 types of packages and procedures for various diseases, further categorized into 3219 packages in the software for clarity.
- Pre-existing Diseases Covered: All diseases existing before the scheme's commencement are included.
- Comprehensive Medical Facilities Included:
- Registration fee
- Bed charges
- Admission and nursing charges
- Consultation fees (surgery, anaesthesia, specialists, general medicine)
- Costs for anaesthesia, blood, oxygen, operation theatre, etc.
- Medication expenses
- X-ray and other investigation charges
- Expenses for necessary protective equipment against communicable diseases for staff and patients.
- Coverage for tests, medications, and doctor consultations related to the admission illness, extending up to 5 days pre-hospitalization and 15 days post-discharge.
- No Family Size or Age Limit: The scheme does not restrict benefits based on family size or the age of members.
- Infant Coverage: Newborn infants without a name on the family card are eligible for benefits for up to one year.
- Expanded Coverage: Significantly broader than the previous Ayushman Bharat-Mahatma Gandhi Rajasthan Health Insurance Scheme.
- Focus on Vulnerable Groups: Aims to provide robust health insurance to economically weaker sections and marginalized communities.
- Cashless Treatment: Offers cashless treatment at empanelled government and private hospitals.
- Increased Sum Insured: Provides a substantially higher sum insured compared to previous schemes.
- Accident Insurance: Includes accident insurance coverage in addition to health coverage.
- State Government Initiative: Primarily funded and managed by the Government of Rajasthan.
- No Restriction on Pre-existing Conditions: Unlike some regular health insurance plans, it covers pre-existing conditions from the start.
- Wide Network of Hospitals: Encompasses a large number of government and private hospitals across the state.
Benefits of the Chiranjeevi Yojana Health Scheme
The process for availing free treatment benefits under the scheme involves the following steps:
Identification of eligible family:
The identification of eligible families will be done using the Aadhaar card number, policy documents. Therefore, when the patient is admitted to the hospital, they should provide this information to the health counsellor present at the scheme's counter so that the eligibility of the family can be ensured.
Identification of the beneficiary:
After ensuring the eligibility of the family, the eligibility of the patient will be checked. For this, the software will display the category of the family and details of the members based on entering the Jan Aadhaar card number or registration number. The patient will be identified, and their biometric verification will be conducted. A live photo will also be taken in front of the webcam at the time of admission and discharge from the hospital. Treatment will be initiated for the patient as per the available package under the scheme.
Provision for treatment of children under one year:
Even if the name of the child up to one year of age is not included in the details of the family's Jan Aadhaar card, provision has been made under the scheme to provide treatment to such children for up to one year. For this, the child's TID can be generated using the name of any available member of the family in the Aadhaar card. However, treatment under the scheme can only be provided after the child's name is linked to the Aadhaar card.
Provision for treatment of children up to five years:
It is not mandatory to present biometric verification and photo identification for the treatment of children up to five years of age. The child's TID can be generated using biometric verification of any other member of the family included in the family identification document.