CHIS Plus a big hit in state

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CHIS) Plus, being implemented by CHIAK, (Comprehensive Health Insurance Agency of Kerala) has turned out to be a boon for the poor and economically-weaker sections of the society, who are suffering from diseases such as cancer. Over 5,000 people have benefited from the CHIS Plus scheme which covers treatment cost up to Rs 1 lakh.CHIS Plus scheme allows the beneficiaries to claim treatment exprenses at  the government medical college hospitals and general hospitals in the state of an amount of Rs 70,000 worth treatment in addition to the Rs 30,000 worth treatment ensured by the smart card. The specialty of the scheme is that this amount is made available not through the insurance route. The hospitals where the beneficiaries seek treatment can directly claim the cost of treatment up to Rs 1 lakh.Besides, the available network of medical college hospitals and general hospitals,  RCC, Thiruvananthapuram, Malabar Cancer Centre, and  Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology were also included in the list on November 12.Up to November 12, the treatment under the CHIS Plus was available to cardiac diseases, kidney ailments and cancer.But now liver ailments, neuro ailments and accident trauma care also have been included in the list. The treatment facility under the scheme will be available in all the government medical college hospitals from December 1.CHIAK director P Sukumar said that in the last week over 40 cancer patients availed of medical treatment under the scheme at the RCC.  In the past seven months of the current fiscal around 5,000 patients were provided treatment under the scheme.He said that over a period of eight months, Rs 13 crore was spent under the CHISPlus scheme alone. Over 1,000 persons benefited from angioplasty.  “Our initiatives have turned out be a silent revolution. Thousands of people have benefited,” he said.Sukumar said that CHIAK could provide medical claim worth Rs 120 crore to over 4 lakh beneficiaries in the past seven months.He said that the government was planning to add another 7 lakh to 10 lakh beneficiaries to the existing list of 28 lakh Smart card holders this year.