CM health insurance: HC wants Rs 72 K annual wages cap raised

The Madras High Court has sought the State to consider raising the threshold limit of Rs 72,000 fixed as annual wages to avail benefits under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme to cover a larger number of families.

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy offered the direction after recording submissions that this quantum is too low since, even based on the minimum wages payable to an unskilled worker, the annual income of a family with an unskilled worker as its bread-earner will easily exceed the minimum eligibility threshold of Rs 72,000.

However, on pointing out that since this is a matter of policy, it is left to the State to consider whether the upward revision of the minimum threshold limit would be appropriate, the bench said: “The appeal appears to be reasonable and it is hoped that the minimum threshold level would be substantially increased to allow a larger number of families to avail of the benefit under the scheme.”

“Since the second surge appears to have been brought under control or has somewhat abated in the light of the measures taken all round, the financial difficulties faced by ordinary citizens, particularly those who are not able to afford expensive treatment, should be looked into by the State,” the court stressed.

It also held: “There is no doubt that every family would have gone beyond its means to ensure the best treatment for its members, but these families would have been drained of their savings or may have gone into debt. This is a matter which requires the attention of the State and the data has to be gathered before any effective policy decision is taken.”

“It is hoped that such an aspect will engage the attention of the State, sooner rather than later,” Chief Justice Banerjee observed while posting the plea to June 7 for further hearing.