Oommen Chandy Health Scheme: Kerala govt forms panel for ₹25 lakh family insurance cover

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has constituted a technical expert committee to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for the proposed Oommen Chandy Health Insurance Scheme, which aims to provide insurance cover of up to Rs 25 lakh to every family in the state.

Health and Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan said the committee, which includes experts from the insurance sector, has been given four months to submit its report.

Named after former chief minister and Congress veteran Oommen Chandy, who died in 2023, the scheme was among the UDF's poll promises ahead of the Assembly elections. It was later announced in the 2026-27 state budget as part of the proposed universal health coverage programme.
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The committee will be headed by the Principal Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department. The Secretaries of the Finance and Planning and Economic Affairs departments, along with the Executive Director of the State Health Agency (SHA), will be its members.

The insurance experts on the panel are Girish Radhakrishnan, former Chairman and Managing Director of United India Insurance Company and former State Insurance Ombudsman; P J Joseph, former member of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI); and K Sanath Kumar, former Chairman and Managing Director of National Insurance Company.

Scheme design and financial model

The committee will examine the design and financial model of the proposed scheme, including its integration with existing health insurance and public health assistance programmes, Muraleedharan said.

The government aims to bring as many families as possible under the scheme by keeping income-based restrictions to a minimum, he said.
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Cashless treatment under consideration

Implementation of the scheme is likely to be routed through the State Health Agency, with cashless treatment at empanelled government and private hospitals being considered.

The committee will also examine hospital empanelment, claims management, quality assurance and grievance redressal mechanisms, along with other aspects of implementing the scheme.

Muraleedharan said the government was moving ahead with the project as part of its commitment to fulfil the UDF's election promises.

PTI