Apollo DKV, India’s premier health insurance company, has entered into a tie-up with the Meghalaya Government to implement the Centrally-sponsored Rashtriya Swasthiya Bima Yojna (RSBY), a health insurance scheme meant for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.

BPL families can avail health insurance benefits worth Rs 30,000 per annum where the Centre will bear 90 percent cost of the premium while the other 10 percent will be borne by the state government. The families need to pay Rs. 30 as their share of premium for registration, to avail the benefits under the scheme.

Announcing the launch, Commissioner and Secretary (Health) and National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) Mission Director Donald Philips Wahlang said, “Apollo DKV had been selected from among the bids invited by the state government to implement the scheme. We hope that the scheme will prove to be a watershed in the health scenario of the state as it would improve the ability of BPL families to access the health care system existing in the state and also help in reducing infant mortality. This scheme would not only provide health insurance benefits to the poor, but would also enable the government to get valuable database on the kind of illness the people in the rural areas are suffering from to further improve the services.”

Antony Jacob, CEO, Apollo DKV Health Insurance while announcing the tie-up, said, “Apollo DKV is putting in a concerted effort at expanding the health insurance category by introducing new and innovative products while catering to newer geographies in India. Our partnership with the Government of Meghalaya is a step ahead in making health insurance products readily available to the masses, and is in line with our chairman’s vision to touch as many lives as possible with a message of positive health in the country. We look forward to more such partnerships and propositions to evolve as a first choice health insurer in our country”.

BPL families in the state who are the beneficiaries of the scheme will be issued ‘Smart Cards’ to avail health insurance coverage by Apollo DKV Health Insurance under RSBY. An important facet of this scheme is that pre-existing conditions are covered from the first day onwards. Under the scheme, Apollo DKV will undertake a concerted enrollment effort in the coming months to ensure that the maximum number of eligible BPL families are able to take advantage of this scheme.

The state government had received several bids from insurance companies including Oriental, New India and others recognised by the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA). The government signed an MOU with Apollo DKV for implementation of the scheme. NRHM will be the nodal agency to implement the scheme which will cover both government and private hospitals.