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The state government has unveiled a series of measures to strengthen financial protection through expanded insurance coverage in the 77th Kerala Budget, presented by Finance Minister K N Balagopal in the Assembly on Thursday.

One of the key announcements was a new accident and life insurance scheme for students from Class 1 to 12, for which ₹15 crore has been earmarked.

Finance Minister K N Balagopal. File Photo: Manorama
Finance Minister K N Balagopal. File Photo: Manorama

The government is also considering introducing group insurance coverage for workers in the unorganised sector. Under the proposed model, the State Insurance Department will implement the scheme with government financial support.

Group insurance is also being extended to cover:

  • Haritha Karma Sena members
  • Autorickshaw and taxi workers
  • Lottery workers enrolled with the Welfare Fund Board
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Medisep 2.0
The Finance Minister announced that the second phase of the Medisep health insurance scheme for government employees and pensioners will come into effect from February 1.

He also said that a Medisep-like insurance scheme will be implemented for employees and pensioners of State public sector undertakings, while a similar model is under consideration for co-operative sector employees.

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Cashless treatment
The budget has announced a scheme to provide cashless treatment for road accident victims in government hospitals and selected private hospitals across the state. An amount of ₹15 crore has been set aside for the scheme, considering that nearly 48,000 road accidents occur in Kerala every year.

Cover beyond KASP
In addition, the government is planning a new health insurance scheme for families outside the ambit of the Karunya Arogya Suraksha Scheme (KASP). Individuals will be able to enrol by paying a relatively small premium. An allocation of ₹50 crore has been made for the scheme, which is expected to be implemented during the current financial year.

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Other major projects:

  • ₹33.14 crore for the State Crop Insurance Scheme
  • ₹4 crore for ensuring insurance coverage to dairy farmers through the Dairy Farmers' Welfare Fund
  • ₹10 crore for a group insurance scheme covering all fishermen.

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