Government to bring all Differently abled Under Insurance Cover

The State Government would ​bring all the differently abled under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme, said Darez Ahmed, Mission Director of the National Health Scheme for Tamil Nadu on Monday. The details of those who were not covered under the scheme were being collected through special camps, he told The Hindu over phone.

The department had enrolled 80 % of the differently abled through the special camps. Once the seeding of Aadhar number begins, the differently abled will automatically come under the insurance scheme, Mr. Darez Ahmed said.As of now 47,932 differently abled have been brought under the insurance scheme.

Of the 31,817 differently abled identified in Madurai district, just 372 came under the scheme. Of the 495 differently abled identified in Krishnagiri district, 134 were brought under the scheme, Mr. Darez Ahmed said.Once they have been brought under the scheme, their entire family members can get claim a cashless treatment of up to 1 lakh.

Though the scheme was in vogue for the last five years, lack of awareness about it has affected the enrolment. Till August 7, just 815 differently abled had enrolled in the scheme in Coimbatore district.

And that too because of the efforts taken by orphanages, old-age homes, and homes for the differently abled. The total number of differently abled who have an identity card from the department in the district is 43,680, said a di​s​trict official.​ The present insurance scheme is effective till January 2022, the official said. Necessary application forms can be submitted either at the office at the Collectorate or at e-seva centres.

The Department of Differently abled Welfare would organise special camps for enrolment in all districts soon.S. Namburajan, State general secretary, Tamil Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently abled Caregivers said that the enrolment rate was very poor due to lack of initiatives taken by health officials at the grassroots. The total number of differently abled holding identity cards would be anything between nine lakh and 11 lakh in the State.Of these, not even 5 % were covered under the
insurance scheme, he said.