The Tamil Nadu Government Employees’ Association has complained that the G.O. on inclusion of COVID-19 treatment under New Insurance Scheme for Employees and Pensioners has not been fully implemented .
Its Virudhunagar unit functionary, C.E. Kannan, said that a private hospital in Madurai on July 31 had raised a bill of ₹4.25 lakh for the COVID-19 treatment provided to a teacher from Virudhunagar. However, the United India Insurance Company sanctioned only ₹1.73 lakh insurance for him.
“Coordinator of United India Insurance Company has said that the company cannot provide cashless treatment, but only provide a package for treatment under Government Order 290,” Mr. Kannan said.
The insurance company was denying cashless treatment and thereby bringing a bad name for the Tamil Nadu government, he charged.
As an interim measure, the State government had, through G.O. 280, said the government employees should bear the COVID-19 treatment cost and later make claims for reimbursement as per the package through Commissioner of Treasuries. The G.O. said that this was applicable to those who took treatment between March 1 and June 24.
However, the previous G.O. 279 that had included COVID-19 treatment among the approved treatments in the New Insurance Scheme and extended the insurance scheme due for expiry on June 30,2020 by one year from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021.
“The G.O. 279 said that the extension of the New Health Insurance Scheme would continue till June 30, 2021 with same terms and conditions of agreement. It meant that the cashless treatment would continue,” he added.
However, the insurance company was not implementing it inconveniencing government employees and teachers.
Mr. Kannan said that Tamil Nadu Government All Department Association’s Coordination Committee has sought the Chief Minister’s intervention to clarify this issue.