The ministry of health and family welfare is toying with the idea of setting up a Task Force in a bid to evolve innovative and low cost health insurance programme. This will form part of the National Rural Health Mission. A presentation on the issue was made by the minister for health and family welfare, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, here last week, to the Prime Minister, stated an official release.

Health insurance forms an important segment of the National Rural Health Mission to provide basic health-care delivery to the masses. Over 3200 Community Health Centres in the country are proposed to be strengthened and geared up to meet the objectives of the mission. Round the clock hospital like services are also proposed in every block of the country. The strengthening of the public Health Delivery System and the availability of a huge number of health workers provides an opportunity to improve risk pooling through community based health insurance.

Dr. Ramadoss discussed with the Prime Minister several aspects relating to the National Rural Health Mission as well as the proposed Health Insurance Programme. The programme, now at its nascent stage, is expected to take a concrete shape in the near future, to achieve the goals of the National Rural Health Mission.

It is estimated that household expenditure on health-care in India during 2004-05, amounted to more than Rs 1,00,000 crore.