Covid care now under CM’s scheme

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has ordered that treatment for COVID-19 at private hospitals will be covered under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme. Those covered under the scheme can avail themselves of treatment at private hospitals empanelled under the scheme without making any payment.

Hospitals charging patients more that the fee fixed by the State will be suspended from the empanelled hospital list. Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar said in a release that Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had issued an order in this regard. A committee formed by the department to work on a package rate had submitted its report with certain conditions.

The government has fixed the charges following careful analysis. Asymptomatic and mild cases in general ward of Grade A1 to A4 multi speciality hospitals will be charged Rs 5,000 a day. Patients using ICU with all facilities will be charged between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000 a day in Grade AI and A2 hospitals, and between Rs 9,000 and Rs 13,500 a day in Grade A3 and A4 hospitals.

The grading is given by the government based on infrastructure, bed strength and other facilities. The empanelled hospitals should allot 25 per cent of their bed strength to patients covered under the CM’s insurance scheme. For details and complaints, people can contact 18004253993. The Indian Medical Association’s Tamil Nadu branch welcomed the move. Residents of the State, whose annual income is less than Rs 72,000, are eligible for the scheme. It may be noted that the government had hiked the health insurance cover from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.