Government Healthcare Benefits for Your Parents

Posted on: Nov 25, 2024 | 3 mins | Written by: HDFC ERGO Team

Government Healthcare Benefits for Your Parents

Government healthcare is a form of health insurance plan offered by the government of India for lower to mid-bracket income families. These healthcare plans are available at lower premium rates and for lower coverage of the sum insured.

Health insurance is a primary concern, especially these days when diseases and accidents are rampant. Senior citizens are highly prone to the adverse effects of illnesses. Therefore, getting health insurance for parents should be a priority.

Unlike private healthcare providers, who have coverage plans in both private and government hospitals alike, government healthcare plans pan across India, but they are mainly in government hospitals. So, if you want quality treatment in a private medical facility, these plans may not be feasible.

Government healthcare for seniors and their benefits

The government of India offers a number of options to cover tests and treatments in government medical facilities with their health insurance plan. Here is a list of the government healthcare schemes to consider for your parents and the benefits they offer:

1. Ayushman Bharat Yojna

This health insurance scheme was introduced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare for the benefit of those beneath the poverty line. This government health scheme provides up to INR 5 lac as the sum insured and covers the costs of diagnostics and treatment as well as medicines for those who are in the red when it comes to socio-economic conditions.

2. Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojna

This government health insurance plan covers people between the ages of 18 and 70. Hence, it serves parents’ health insurance well up to the upper limit. The policy suggests that if a citizen of India is disabled or passes away due to accidents, then they or their beneficiaries will receive INR 2 lacs in claims. If the citizen is only partially disabled, then they will receive INR 1 lac. However, you can only opt for this government health scheme if you have an active bank account because the premium is auto-debited.

3. Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna

For those families with an aggregate income under the poverty line, this is suitable healthcare for seniors. Unlike the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojna, this health insurance is not confined by age limit. You can cover the entire family under this policy, which works well as a health insurance plan for parents.

The premium for this family health insurance is low and so is the sum insured capped at INR 3 lacs. The policy does cover a variety of needs though including medical diagnostics, treatments for injuries, major surgeries, etc. Apart from these, the parent’s health insurance also covers maternity benefits as well as pre and post-natal care coverage. It also includes an allowance for transportation and coverage for hospitalisation for major surgeries.

Keep in mind, though, that the policy is aimed at those below the poverty line and the sum insured is not going to increase. Also, it covers all costs when the patient goes to government hospitals.

4. Central Government Healthcare Schemes

This is an ideal health insurance for parents, especially if either of them worked as a government employee before. There are conditions that apply though such as the government official, past or present must be employed in the central railway, supreme court justice system, and those on pension after retiring from such positions.

This particular government healthcare scheme provides a substantial sum insured up to INR 35 lacs and the benefits extend to all manners of treatment be it homeopathic or allopatheic. It also provides aid during hospitalisation, diagnostic tests and treatments of illnesses, and even lab reports.

If you or your parents worked in the central railway or the justice system, you can consider this parent’s health insurance as a safe bet.

5. Employment State Insurance Scheme

This particular health insurance scheme provided by the government is also one of the oldest. It is a viable option for parents to have health insurance if the parents were employed and registered for the health insurance plan at the time. As a result, the scheme covers medical expenses in old age.

If parents are still employed and covered under this scheme then this health insurance for parents provides many benefits including in cases of death pertaining to occupational risks. The sum insured offers allowances for disability as well as coverage for funeral costs as well. However, this government healthcare scheme also targets those around the poverty line.

Apart from these centralised health insurance policies, several states under the government of India also offer targeted coverage for citizens. Here are some of the schemes and the benefits that they offer:

1. Mukhyamantri Amrutam Yojna

This state government healthcare scheme aims to aid the citizens of Gujrat who are either under the poverty line or in low-income brackets. You can include up to 5 family members under this health insurance plan, which makes it a viable option for parent’s health insurance.

The basic sum insured offered is up to INR 3 lacs for charges pertaining from diagnosis of ailments and diseases, all the way to medical care post hospitalisation. If the treatment required is more severe in cases of transplants such as liver, kidney, etc. then the sum insured is increased to INR 5 lacs. For citizens of Gujrat, it is devoid of premium instalments to avail this healthcare for senior citizens.

2. Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana

One of the brighter health insurance policies introduced by the government of Maharashtra for their citizens is the MJPJAY. There are no premiums to be paid as the government takes responsibility for that. It covers a myriad of medical treatments, including surgeries and post-hospitalisation care for the patients.

Among the coverage of treatments are a total of 971 procedures including those for childbearing, orthopaedics, heart surgeries, treatments for exposure to radiation and even the less popular plastic surgeries. The drawback of this plan is the very low sum insured which is capped at only INR 1.5 lacs per family. It is good health insurance for parents for those in low-income brackets due to the wide range of ailments and procedural coverage.

3. Yeshasvini Health Insurance Scheme

Among the government healthcare schemes that aid the low- and middle-income brackets are the efforts of the Karnataka State government. This particular plan offers INR 5 lacs as a sum insured for the constituents of Karnataka, especially the farmers. You can avail of cashless claims for approximately 1650 ailments and diseases and also opt for discounted treatments as well as diagnostic facilities.

4. West Bengal Health Scheme

Another state health insurance for those employed in the Pan India government services and retired pensioners is the WBHS. The policy offers coverage for over 1014 medical treatments with cashless claims and reimbursement for charges post-hospitalisation.

5. Karunya Health Scheme

For the citizens of Kerala suffering from major ailments such as tumours, cancers, heart health, and other chronic diseases. The government offers INR 5 lacs in sum insured for everything from diagnostics to post-hospitalisation care. Those in lower income groups can largely benefit from this plan.

6. Dr YSR Aarogyasri Health Care Trust

The southern state of Andhra Pradesh also has a targeted health insurance plan for those in the low-income bracket. This is good healthcare for seniors as it focuses not only on treatments after diagnostics but also on preventive care. Health checkups are conducted free of cost so senior citizens suffering from chronic ailments can seek help at early stages.

Other state governments also provide niche health insurance policies for their constituents. When opting for these government healthcare insurances for parents, make sure to always check the age limits and sum insured.

Conclusion

Health insurance is a very important part of financial planning and healthcare. Being aware of the plans available to help in times of need goes a long way toward mitigating the costs associated with them.

It is ideal to combine these government health schemes with private health insurance policies as well. Parent’s health insurance can be tricky and quite expensive when it comes to treatments. Therefore, add-ons from the private sector are always a good idea.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to the policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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