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Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana — Govt Scheme for UPSC | Vaidra
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Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana

Ministry of Health & Family WelfarediscontinuedhealthLaunched: 2008-04-01

About the Scheme

RSBY provided health insurance of Rs 30,000/year to BPL families before being subsumed into Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY in 2018. Launched April 2008. Covered 5 crore BPL families. REPLACED BY PM-JAY (Rs 5 lakh coverage) in September 2018. Some states still run RSBY for segments not covered by PM-JAY. Historical predecessor to PM-JAY.

Target Beneficiaries: BPL families in 19 states/UTs. Largely subsumed into Ayushman Bharat PMJAY from 2018.

Implementing Agency: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

Official Website →

✦Key Features

  • Cashless hospitalization coverage up to a specified sum (e.g., Rs. 30,000 per family per year on a family floater basis).
  • Smart card-based identification and transaction system for beneficiaries.
  • Coverage for pre-existing diseases from day one of enrollment.
  • Inclusion of both public and empaneled private hospitals.
  • Provision for transport allowance (e.g., Rs. 100 per visit, up to a maximum of Rs. 1000 per year).
  • Coverage for most common illnesses requiring hospitalization.

✓Eligibility Criteria

  • Families identified as Below Poverty Line (BPL) by the respective State Governments.
  • Unorganised sector workers and their families, as defined by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
  • Specific categories of workers such as domestic workers, construction workers, street vendors, and others, as notified by the government.

★Benefits

  • Hospitalization expenses including surgeon and anaesthetist fees, diagnostic tests, medicines, and room charges.
  • Pre-hospitalization expenses for one day and post-hospitalization expenses for five days.
  • Maternity benefits (in some states, as per state-specific packages).
  • Transport allowance for each hospitalization.

▶Application Process

  • Enrollment camps are organized at the village or block level by the implementing agency.
  • Eligible beneficiaries register at these camps by providing their demographic and biometric information.
  • A smart card is issued on the spot after successful verification and payment of a nominal registration fee (e.g., Rs. 30).
  • The smart card can then be used at empaneled hospitals for cashless treatment.
  • Annual renewal of the smart card and coverage.

₹ Budget Allocation

227

Funding Ratio (Centre:State): 75:25 (Centre:State) for most states; 90:10 for NE and J&K.

UPSC Relevance

GS Paper: GS2

Prelims Relevance7%
Mains Relevance8%

Syllabus Tags

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)National Health Mission (NHM)Universal Health CoverageSocial Security Schemes in IndiaHealthcare Financing and AccessPoverty Alleviation and Welfare SchemesPublic-Private Partnerships in Healthcare

Historical Context

Launched in 2008 by the Ministry of Labour and Employment to provide social security to workers in the unorganized sector. It was transferred to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2015.