Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna: Punjab to roll out Rs 10L health insurance cover on Jan 15 | Chandigarh News

Chandigarh: In a move towards achieving universal health coverage, Punjab govt is all set to roll out its enhanced ‘Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna’ (MMSY), which raises cashless health insurance from the earlier Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, on Jan 15. An agreement was signed on Friday with an insurance company to provide the Rs 10-lakh cover to all families of Punjab. The agreement was signed by Punjab State Health Agency (SHA) CEO Sanyam Aggarwal, and the executive director of the company.Health minister Dr Balbir Singh said the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna significantly expanded health protection from the earlier Rs 5 lakh coverage, which was limited to specific categories. “The new scheme aims to provide cashless treatment up to Rs 10 lakh per family per year to all residents of Punjab, including govt employees and pensioners,” he said.He said CM Bhagwant Singh Mann and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal will launch the scheme on Jan 15.The health minister emphasised that the scheme was designed for inclusivity, featuring no income cap or exclusion criteria. “Enrolment was made simple and accessible through common service centres (CSCs) using only Aadhaar and voter IDs, after which beneficiaries will receive dedicated MMSY health cards. A helpline will be launched soon to facilitate the process,” he added.Highlighting the operational framework, the minister said United India Insurance Company—selected for a similar insurance scheme in Tamil Nadu—will provide coverage of Rs 1,00,000 per family for all 65 lakh families in the state. “For treatment requirements between Rs 1,00,000 and Rs 10,00,000, the insurance will be provided by the SHA, Punjab, on a trust basis,” he said.Dr Balbir Singh detailed the scheme adopted the latest Health Benefit Package (HBP 2.2), ensuring comprehensive coverage through more than 2,000 selected treatment packages. “Beneficiaries can access secondary and tertiary care across a robust network of 824 empanelled hospitals, which currently includes 212 public hospitals, eight govt of India hospitals, and over 600 private hospitals. The number of empanelled hospitals is expected to increase further as the scheme progresses,” he concluded.