5L Gained From State's Health Cover In 1 Yr: RTI

Mumbai: Less than 8% of Covid patients in Mumbai availed themselves of treatment under the Maharashtra government's flagship health insurance scheme. This is despite hospitalization costs being high in the city. A possible reason could be the fact that there are not enough hospitals that are part of the scheme in the metropolis and also free treatment was available in regular and field hospitals operated by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

- Chittaranjan.Tembhekar

As of March 31, 2021, Maharashtra reported more than 28 lakh Covid cases and 54,649 deaths as against this a little over five lakh patients received treatment under the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021, according to information obtained under the RTI Act by activist Jeetendra Ghadge. The scheme covered over 2.2 crore families across Maharashtra.

The United India Insurance Company was appointed as the insurer for the scheme on April 1, 2020, co-incidentally when the coronavirus-induced lockdown had just been imposed.

Though Mumbai reported over four lakh cases and 11,708 deaths till April 1, 2021, only 29,664 claims were paid, while 34,867 claims were settled in Ahmednagar which reported 95,000 infections and 1,221 fatalities in the same period. In Kolhapur, 34,574 claims were paid, and in Pune, 34,045.