NewzVille Desk
Mizoram Presbyterian Church (Synod), the largest denomination having more than 6 lakh members across the state, has called upon its local churches to step in and facilitate health insurance enrollment for underprivileged members, a church leader said.
In a circular issued recently, local church committees are encouraged to identify members who cannot afford premium to register under Mizoram Universal Health Care Scheme (MUHCS) and utilise church resources to fund their enrollment, the leader said.
The initiative aimed to ensure that “no member is left behind” due to poverty, providing a safety net for the most vulnerable sections of the community, he said.
The circular follows the meeting of Synod Officers, which resolved to request local churches to take the necessary steps to ensure that church members who are unable to join the healthcare scheme due to extreme poverty or hardship are enabled to do so.
The Synod requested local churches that assistance be provided to those who cannot afford the enrollment fees for MUHCS so that they may also receive coverage, he said.
The MUHCS was launched in March last year and became operational on April 1. The second phase or MUHCS 2.0 was launched by Chief Minister Lalduhoma on March 16 this year to become operational on April 1.
The scheme provides up to Rs 5 lakh in annual coverage for cashless treatment at government facilities, as well as empanelled private and church-run hospitals in and outside the state for general beneficiaries.
Under the scheme, general beneficiaries pay a minimum fee or premium of Rs. 2,500 per a financial year for cashless treatment in general ward, Rs. 5,000 in semi-private cabin or semi-cabin and Rs. 10,000 in private cabin.
Government employees, including contractual and muster-roll, pay a monthly contribution ranging from Rs. 200 to Rs. 1,500 depending on their pay scales to avail unlimited health cover.
The government has recently re-structured pensioner benefits according to which the fixed medical allowance (FMA) of pensioners will serve as the baseline subscription fee and they will not be required to pay monthly contribution fee as was in the first phase of MUHCS.
