Children in the age group of 5 to 18 years included in BSKY health scheme in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Children in the age group of 5 to 18 years in Odisha are now included in the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) health scheme. The Health & Family Welfare Department of the State government has directed all BSKY empanelled hospitals to include the unregistered child members of beneficiary families in the health scheme.

Shalini Pandit, Commissioner-cum-Secretary to Govt-cum-Chairman, State Health Assurance Society has written letters to all BSKY empanelled hospitals in this regard.

“It has come to the notice of the State Health Assurance Society that in some cases even though a family is covered under NFSA/SFSS, the names of some child members of a family are left out of the NFSA/SFSS database. This is due to the non-availability of vacant slots in that Block for the addition of new members to the NFSA/SFSS database. As a result, it is not possible on the part of the hospital to register and authenticate such child beneficiaries for cashless treatment under BSKY,” Pandit said in the letter.

“In order to overcome the issue, the Government have been pleased to approve that BSKY benefits may be extended to the child members of NFSA/SFSS families, in the age group of 5 to 18 years old, whose names are not there in the data base of NFSA/SFSS, by blocking in the name of the father/mother, on the production of documentary evidence by the parent to support the claim that the individual being treated is their child,” she added.

She further said that as per the order of the State Health Assurance Society, children below 5 years are already being provided coverage under BSKY on the basis of self-declaration by the cardholder that the child belongs to his/her family.