Modicare, World's Largest National Health Protection Scheme: All You Need To Know

Modicare is touted to be world's largest national health protection scheme.

New Delhi: In the Union Budget 2018-19, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced that India will have the world's largest healthcare programme for half a billion of its poorest citizens. He went on to lay out plans to merge three public sector insurance companies and list the new entity. The plan was soon dubbed "NaMoCare" by BJP president Amit Shah and "ModiCare" by many online. The Ayushman Bharat scheme, also being called "ModiCare", is a new health protection scheme that would cover around 10 crore poor and vulnerable families, or about 50 crore poor people of India. "ModiCare" is seen as an attempt by the government to reform India's public health system, which faces acute shortage of hospitals and doctors .

Here's all you need to know about ModiCare, world's largest national health protection scheme:

The National Health Protection Scheme or "ModiCare" would provide a health cover of Rs 5 lakh per year for free treatment for hospitalization. Going forward, more funds would be made available as the programme is rolled out over the year, officials said.
"ModiCare", the new national health protection scheme, will cover nearly 40 per cent of the country's population. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that "Modicare" would take public healthcare in the world's largest democracy "to a new aspiration level", adding that his government was steadily but surely progressing towards a goal of "universal health coverage".
India spends a little over one percent of its GDP on public healthcare, which is one of the lowest proportions in the world. Mr Jaitley also announced National Health Policy 2017 with Rs 1,200 crore allocation for the healthcare sector. "Health and wellness centres will bring healthcare closer and more accessible to people," Mr Jaitley said.
Citing a national survey report, the Economic Survey had pointed that people had to spend an average Rs 26,000 for treatment per hospitalised case in private facilities. Mr Jaitley said the government had been "seriously concerned" that millions had to struggle to receive adequate treatment in hospital.
Under the National Health Protection Scheme or "ModiCare", the government estimates the cost of insuring each family would be about Rs 1,100. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that this budget will add to ease of living.