The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) is a government-run health insurance program for India’s unorganized sector workers who belong to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category. This blog explores the scheme’s objectives, coverage, and its impact on healthcare accessibility for one of the most vulnerable sections of society.
What is RSBY?
Launched in 2008, RSBY aims to provide health insurance to BPL households, covering several key health services. The goal is to protect these families from financial liabilities arising from health issues, ensuring they have access to good quality care without the burden of high medical costs.
Coverage and Benefits
RSBY provides coverage of up to Rs. 30,000 per family per year on a family floater basis for most medical treatments including hospitalization expenses, with a particular focus on maternity benefits. The benefits include:
- Hospitalization expenses covering most diseases that require in-patient treatment.
- Surgical procedures with a cost up to Rs. 30,000, which includes surgeon, anaesthesia, materials, and any other related charges.
- Transport allowance of Rs. 100 per visit with an annual cap of Rs. 1,000.
- Coverage extends to five members of a family, including the head of the family, spouse, and up to three dependents.
Enrollment and Implementation
Enrollment into RSBY is facilitated through camps organized in rural and urban areas where eligible families can register. Each beneficiary family is issued a biometric-enabled smart card that contains all their relevant health information. This card is used to access health services across participating hospitals.
Impact Analysis
RSBY has significantly contributed to the reduction of out-of-pocket expenditure for hospitalizations and has improved the access to quality health services for the BPL population. Studies show that RSBY beneficiaries are more likely to seek hospital care and receive better treatment without the fear of the financial strain typically associated with medical treatment.
However, challenges such as awareness among the beneficiaries, the actual utilization of the benefits, and delays in reimbursements to hospitals continue to affect the effectiveness of the scheme. Continuous efforts are being made to streamline processes and increase the outreach of the program.
RSBY stands as a notable attempt by the Indian government to bring health insurance to the uninsured, making healthcare more accessible and affordable for some of the poorest households in the country.
