DIMAPUR — The commissioner and secretary of Health department, Y Kikheto Sema, said that it is the desire of the state government to provide accessible, affordable, and universal healthcare services to all its citizens.
Addressing the workshop on the Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme (CMHIS) at The Lily Hotel, Guwahati, on Friday, the official informed that CMHIS was launched in Nagaland in October 2022 to provide health insurance to all citizens who are not covered under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, making Nagaland the first state in the country to provide cashless universal health coverage.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]With the launching of the CMHIS, Kikheto said the ‘MR Scheme’ for government employees has been discontinued with effect from November 2022, a DIPR report stated. He updated that under CMHIS, employees and pensioners can avail insured amount of INR 20 lakh per family per year and the general category insured amount of INR 5 lakh per family per year.
Kikheto also clarified that CMHIS (general) category is implemented in convergence with Ayushman Bharat PMJAY platform, while the CMHIS (EP) category is implemented in convergence with Central Government Health Scheme platform.
The commissioner stated that initially 1,444 hospitals were empanelled under CGHS, however, only few hospitals were frequented by patients from Nagaland. Since the CGHS package rate was very low, he stated that many hospitals refused to provide treatment.
In order to solve this problem, he informed that a team comprising Nagaland Health Protection Society and officials of H&FW department has now worked out revised rates and enhanced incentives ranging from 30% to 60% above the CGHS rates. He added that in view of proximity, more than 50% of patients from Nagaland come to Guwahati for treatment of various ailments. He also stated that the empanelment of Guwahati-based hospital would be prioritised.
The health official further attested that Nagaland government has never defaulted payment of debt servicing to any financial institutions and assured that the payment of hospital bills and claims would be cleared within the turn-around-time of one month.
The workshop was attended by more than 20 hospitals including several reputed hospitals in Guwahati.