NHPS - National Health Protection Scheme in India

The National Health Protection Scheme is the largest government initiative that supports vulnerable families and provides them with adequate access to robust healthcare.

 

Different countries have their own schemes to extend healthcare and make it more affordable and accessible to their citizens, like the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. In India, the focus of healthcare policy is on covering the vulnerable and supporting these families financially. Let’s find out more about the NHPS India or the Ayushman Bharat Yojana and NHPS registration details.

Objectives & Salient Features of the National Health Protection Scheme

Healthcare expenses can befall anyone. Medical emergencies don’t come with announcements, so we can never prepare for them. However, the expenses of any kind of medical treatment or medical attendance can be huge and in many cases, insurmountable.

 

Thus, the objective of the Ayushman Bharat Scheme is to decrease the out-of-pocket expenditure of all residents in India, particularly the vulnerable individuals, by covering them under health insurance policies. This will enable them to get quality medical attention when needed.

 

The other main objective of the NHPS India is the provision of quality medical services as well as medications for all citizens. Timely access to medicine and medical attention can be life-saving, quite literally.

 

Here are the salient features of the NHPS India:

 

• The focus is on covering the primary healthcare needs of the beneficiaries. To this effect, sub-centres and primary health centres have been built into Health and Wellness Centers.

• Coverage is extended to vulnerable individuals and insurance covers the cost of over 1,393 medical procedures.

• Beneficiaries under the scheme can choose either a public hospital or an empanelled private hospital to seek healthcare.

• The health programmes called the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme are covered under the NHPS India.

Why Should You Opt for the NHPS Scheme?

Any kind of hospitalisation or medical treatment brings a huge amount of expenditure. Medical costs have also risen dramatically over the last few years. There’s a long process involved in any kind of medical treatment – from OPD attendance to tests, from diagnosis to treatment and follow-up care

 

In India, people are paying 63% of the medical expenses out-of-pocket. This pushes them into massive medical debt. Bills pile up fast when someone is undergoing medical treatment, even more so for life-threatening and chronic issues. This kind of medical debt pushes households and individuals into poverty.

 

So, it is important to have access to healthcare that does not leave you bankrupt. This is why the National Health Protection Scheme is so crucial to enroll into, especially if a household isn't earning a lot.

 

The health insurance plan will provide hands-on coverage for medical issues, helping prevent such a dire situation.

Advantages of the National Health Protection Scheme

The NHPS India extends a health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh every year for individuals in the low-income category. This effectively provides them with the option to seek medical care without worrying about the mind-boggling costs. The beneficiaries are able to avail of the benefit either through the cashless mode or through reimbursement.

 

You can get cashless claim settlements i.e. the insurer will settle your treatment and hospitalisation bills directly with the network hospital. This way you don't have to shell out any money upfront. The other option is filing a reimbursement claim wherein you pay for all the expenses upfront and then file to get reimbursement by furnishing proof of expenses such as bills, medical reports, and discharge papers from the hospital.

Who Benefits Under NHPS?

The goal is to expand the scheme to over 10 crore vulnerable families. This means that every member of the family is covered under the scheme, no matter the age of each member or the size of the family.

 

Occupations recognised under the scheme include sweepers, peons, delivery persons, and so on in the urban areas and most of the rural occupations as well.

How Will NHPS be Implemented?

Under the NHPS scheme, Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission Agency coordinates the implementation of the programme at the national level.

 

The State Health Agency does the same at the state level or the union territory level. As for the contribution of the government towards the insurance, 60% of the premium is funded by the Central Government, and the remaining 40% by the State Government.

 

There's also the RSBY scheme, short for the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana. It also seeks to provide cover for health insurance for those belonging to the BPL category and their families. So how are the NHPS and RSBY different? Let's look at the differences carefully.

Comparison: Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) Vs National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS)

Running into health problems is stressful as it is, financial constraints shouldn’t be an added burden. This is why the National Health Protection Scheme, the government’s effort for universal healthcare, can be a great relief for the citizens of India. For those who aren’t eligible for government schemes, there’s always an option to visit Bajaj MARKETS and opt for a robust health insurance cover. 

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