Kerala Launches Medical Insurance For Govt Employees, Pensioners From July 1

MEDISEP was initially announced five years ago but the government approved the scheme only in January 2022.

A ward at an hospital (Image for representation)

Thiruvananthapuram: Government employees, pensioners and their dependents in Kerala are now all set to get the coverage of a comprehensive medical insurance scheme for a nominal monthly premium of Rs 500, thanks to Medical Insurance Scheme for State Employees and Pensioners (MEDISEP), the new scheme launched for state government staff and pensioners.

The Pinarayi Vijayan government issued orders giving sanction to implement the much-awaited cashless medical assistance through Oriental Insurance Company Ltd from July 1.

According to the order, issued by Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) Rajesh Kumar Singh, besides government employees, pensioners/ family pensioners and their eligible family members, employees and pensioners of state-run universities and the directly recruited personal staff of the Chief Minister, Leader of Opposition, Chief Whip, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and so on can also benefit from the Medical Insurance Scheme for State Employees and Pensioners (MEDISEP) scheme.

The annual premium of the employees and the pensioners would be Rs 4,800 plus 18 per cent GST for the policy period of 2022-24, and the monthly premium would be deducted as Rs 500, the order added.

The scheme is expected to benefit over five lakh government employees and almost the same number of pensioners and their dependents in the state.

MEDISEP was initially announced five years ago and the government approved the scheme only in January 2022. The implementation of the scheme reportedly got delayed due to the non-cooperation of some private hospitals for the scheme.