Bhubaneswar: Taking a significant stride forward, the Odisha government has launched the BSKY Nabin Card today, aiming to deliver high-quality healthcare services to a maximum number of families in the state. The Chief Minister, Naveen Pattanaik, officially inaugurated the BSKY Nabin Card, emphasizing the commitment to “Sustha Odisha, Sukhi Odisha” as the driving force behind health sector interventions.
During the launch, Chief Minister Pattanaik expressed his longstanding vision of ensuring universal health coverage for the people of Odisha, where healthcare is a fundamental right accessible and affordable to all. The Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana, initiated five years ago, has already revolutionized health assurance in the state. The phased expansion of BSKY aims to provide comprehensive health protection to the entire population.
In the initial phase, all services in public health facilities were made free for everyone, regardless of income or residence. Subsequently, the second phase introduced cashless healthcare in private health facilities for all ration card holders. Under BSKY, over 45 lakh individuals receive free healthcare monthly at public facilities, with an additional 1.3 lakh benefiting from cashless care, amounting to Rs. 260 crores monthly in empanelled private hospitals. Over the past five years, BSKY has provided nearly 21 lakh patients with cashless healthcare, totaling approximately Rs. 4,500 crores in private hospitals alone.
Chief Minister Pattanaik highlighted that BSKY has evolved into a distinctive model for universal health coverage, effectively leveraging the strengths of both public and private sectors to ensure comprehensive health assurance for the people of Odisha.
The announcement of the third phase entails extending cashless care to previously uncovered rural families in the state, excluding regular government employees and income tax payees. These families will now be eligible for the “BSKY Nabin Card,” offering cashless care of Rs. 5 lakh per annum (up to 10 lakh for women members) in empanelled private hospitals for identified critical illnesses, both within and outside the state.
With this expansion, it is estimated that over 1.10 crore families, covering nearly 90% of the state’s population, will benefit from health assurance under BSKY. This initiative aims to eliminate the vulnerability of Odisha families to financial constraints during critical illnesses, fulfilling the promise of universal health coverage for all residents.
- The BSKY Nabin Card will encompass all rural households in the state, excluding regular government employees and income tax payees.
- Annual cashless healthcare coverage of Rs. 5 lakh (up to 10 lakh for female family members).
