Medisep: Finance Minister to pacify hospital owners

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Finance Minister KN Balagopal will talk to the hospital owners about the implementation of the Medisep project to provide treatment to government employees and pensioners in the state. The dispute is over the rate at which insurance members can be treated. The main obstacle is the absence of specialist hospitals. The scheme will not beneficial without specialist hospitals. Even the government have no clear idea when the project can be started.

This time, the scheme has been given to Oriental Insurance, after axing Reliance, which had earlier taken over the scheme. Health insurance is implemented in such a way by drawing money from the employees themselves without being a liability for the government.

The card issuance process can be started only after the collection of information of employees and pensioners is completed and handed over to the insurance company. Prior to that, the hospitals have to be empanelled.

The delay in the scheme was a setback for the pensioners. Many did not renew their existing Mediclaim policies, thinking that they would get Medisep at a lower cost. With this, all the benefits that were available to those who remained for years will be gone at once. Private Mediclaim policies have an annual premium of Rs 12,000 to Rs 36,000. Medisep's annual premium is Rs 6000. That's what attracted pensioners to it.

Meanwhile, a case filed by Reliance Insurance against their ban is pending in the High Court. Its fate will also affect the implementation of the project.