Plan panel group suggests cashless health coverage

The Planning Commission on Wednesday said that one of its expert groups has suggested rolling out of cashless health and portable universal health coverage (UHC) across the country by 2017.

The Commission also informed that the panel had asked for rolling out the scheme on a pilot basis in one district of every state in the first year of 12th Five Year Plan (2012).

"Cashless and portable Universal Health Coverage (UHC) should be piloted in one district in each state and UT during the first year of the 12th plan, and gradually rolled out thereafter..."

"State governments would need to be supported by the central government in extending UHC to the entire population of the country by the end of the 12th plan," Minister of State for Planning Ashwani Kumar said quoting the recommendation of the Steering Committee on Health for 12th

Plan.

The panel has also suggested that the cashless health programme should be borne by the central and state governments on a 85:15 basis, he said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

The panel also suggested that the central assistance should be made available to states through additional central assistance on the lines of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna after signing memorandums of understanding.

"For the states to be eligible for availing the additional central assistance for UHC, each state should ensure that the share of medical and public health in its Plan and Non-Plan budget is at least maintained at the average for the last three years," the Committee has said.