The recent announcement made by Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh regarding the roll out the of ‘Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna’ (MMSY) this month has struck a chord, as it draws several parallels to the Obama Care (officially known as the Affordable Care Act) that was signed into law on March 23, 2010 by the then President of US Barack Obama. The primary objective of Obama Care reform was to provide healthcare coverage for all Americans universally and to decrease the costs of health care services and coverage.
Similarly, the new scheme set to be rolled out by the Punjab government aims to provide cashless treatment up to ₹10 lakh per family per year to all residents of Punjab, including government employees and pensioners.
1. Providing more people with access to affordable health insurance
2. Provide healthcare coverage for all universally
3. Improvement in the quality of health care and health insurance
4. Regulate the health insurance industry
5. Reduce Healthcare costs and spending of the public
The Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh had earlier briefed about framework of scheme. He highlights that the United India Insurance Company, has been selected for its proven track record in implementing similar health insurance schemes in other states successfully. The Minister states, “For treatment requirements between ₹1,00,000 and ₹10,00,000, the insurance will be provided by the State Health Agency (SHA) Punjab on a trust basis,” he said. He further adds, "The selection of United India Insurance brings the advantage of specialists to manage CPD processing efficiently, ensuring faster claim settlements and reduced payment turnaround times," said the Health Minister.
