Awaz Health Insurance Scheme

Understanding Awaz Health Insurance: Benefits and Coverage

Workers migrating to Kerala every year to earn their living often compromise their health due to poor living standards and other issues. This not only affects them and their families but also the state, risking the entire state's health conditions. To resolve these problems, the Kerala Government has introduced the Awaz Health Insurance Scheme to safeguard the health conditions of the workers. 

Keep reading to learn more about this scheme!

What is Awaz Health Insurance?

The Awaz Health Insurance scheme was launched by the Kerala Government in 2017 to cover the accidents and medical expenses of state migrant workers. Under this scheme, individuals between 18 and 60 years can claim a sum insured of ₹25,000 to cover their medical expenses. 

Apart from that, beneficiaries can also avail of a ₹2 Lakh death benefit and ₹1 Lakh disability compensation under this scheme. 

Background to the Awaz Insurance Scheme's Development

Find out how the Awaz Health Insurance Kerala scheme started and functions currently: 

• According to records, nearly 2.35 Lakh workers migrate to Kerala from other parts of the country yearly. The total number of migrant workers in the state has crossed over 25 Lakhs. 
• The health conditions of these workers are compromised every time due to hard work, unhygienic accommodation, insufficient food, etc. Some diseases like malaria, which were previously eradicated from the state, have come back with these workers.
• Thus, taking significant steps towards improving their health conditions has been crucial. The government has set up health insurance advertisements across the state in different languages like Hindi, Bengali, Odia, etc., to seek workers' attention.
• Apart from that, several registration camps have been set up across the state in almost 200 locations to identify migrant workers and insure them with the Awaz health scheme.
• The primary phase of this scheme was completed in December 2017 and was launched as a trial. However, its enrolment began on 1st June 2018 under each district's labour officer's responsibility. 
• The Kerala Government has taken several initiatives to ensure the feasibility of migrant workers in following and rolling out this health insurance scheme. 
• Multiple redressed cells have been set up across the state to ensure that any issues and concerns regarding the Awaz insurance scheme can be quickly resolved.
• The government has also issued health smart cards as part of the Awaz scheme to simplify the claim procedure. This Kerala health card includes the identity (name and photo) of the migrant workers and the local address of the insured's nominee.

What Eligibility Criteria are Required to Apply for Awaz Insurance?

Here are the criteria to fulfil while applying for the Awaz Finance Health Insurance scheme:

●  The migrant workers applying for the Awaz scheme should be between 18 years and 60 years.
●  Workers must provide proof of their work, iris, and fingerprints while applying for the scheme.
●  They should also have ID proof recognized by the state or central government, such as a Voter Card, Aadhaar card, etc.

What Does Awaz Health Insurance Cover?

Being home to numerous migrant workers, the Kerala Government has actively taken part in safeguarding the health conditions of such individuals. The Awaz scheme provides financial coverage to migrant workers and their families during accidents or severe medical conditions. 

Enrolling in this scheme ensures that the beneficiaries can avail themselves of treatment at any government hospital without incurring any out-of-pocket expenses. The following are the benefits offered by Awaz Health Insurance in Kerala Govt:

• Up to ₹15,000 medical treatment coverage for illness or injuries
• Up to ₹2 Lakh death benefit. The dependents of insured workers can claim this amount after their death by providing supporting documents.

What Details are Required to Fill the Enrollment Form?

Beneficiaries must enter some details in their enrolment form to apply for the Awaz Health Insurance scheme. Find them listed below:

• Name and age of the migrant worker
• Marital status 
• Aadhaar number 
• Contact number 
• Local address
• Work experience 
• Mother tongue and other languages are known by the worker
• Parent's name
• Spouse's name
• Children's names and their school's name (if it is located in Kerala)
• Bank details
• Designation and work type
• Wage and the frequency of receiving the wage
• Presently working or not
• Voted ID
• Ration cards, etc.

Note: This policy is entirely free of cost. The workers need not pay any premium to avail themselves of health insurance benefits under the Awaz scheme.

What is the Procedure to Claim for Awaz Health Insurance?

Migrant workers can easily claim their Awaz health insurance benefits by getting the treatment from any of the network hospitals. This includes all the government hospitals in Kerala and a few private ones as well. 

All they need to do is produce their Awaz health card while seeking treatment from the empanelled hospitals. The hospital authorities will verify their biometric health card and provide cashless treatment as per the Awaz scheme. 

Limitations of the Awaz Health Scheme

Here are the challenges faced by the government in implementing this scheme and the initiatives they have taken to resolve it:

• As per records, nearly 5.13 Lakh migrant workers have been a part of the Awaz health insurance in Kerala till March 2022. However, the scheme may sometimes be exploited due to improper practices. 
• The government is emphasizing strict guidelines to avoid these issues and ensure the proper utilization of the scheme. The agents who bring migrant workers to the state should follow these guidelines strictly.
• This will prevent fake agents from bringing in migrant workers at very low wages. With new rules and regulations, only reliable people with proper experience and knowledge will be eligible to be agents. 

The Awaz Health Insurance Scheme represents a significant step towards ensuring that migrant workers in Kerala have access to essential healthcare services without financial strain. As awareness increases and challenges are addressed, it promises to become a model for similar initiatives across India.