 bill no 73 of 2015 the health insurance scheme for disabled persons bill, 2015 byshri pankaj chaudhary, mp a billto provide for a health insurance scheme for disabled persons and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto be it enacted by parliament in the sixty-sixth year of the republic of india as follows:—1 (1) this act may be called the health insurance scheme for disabled persons act,2015(2) it extends to the whole of indiadefinitions2 in this act, unless the context otherwise requires,—(a) "appropriate government" means in the case of a state, the government of that state and in all other cases, the central government;5(b) "beneficiary" means a disabled person who has been issued health insurance card under section 4;(c) "disabled person" means a person suffering from not less than forty per cent of any disability as certified by a medical authority and whose income from all sources is not more than ten thousand rupees per month;10(d) "disability" shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (i) of section 2 of the persons with disabilities (equal opportunities, protection of rights and full participation) act, 1995;1 of 1996(e) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under the act; and (f) "scheme " means the health insurance scheme framed under this act3 (1) the central government shall formulate a comprehensive health insurance scheme for disabled persons15formulation of a comprehensive health insurance scheme(2) the central government shall pay the premium of insurance, payable by disabled persons, to the insurer for providing health services to the beneficiaries covered under the health insurance scheme204 (1) the central government shall designate an agency for issuing health insurance cards to disabled persons(2) the card issued under sub-section (1) shall contain such particulars of the beneficiary as may be prescribedhealth insurance card to be issued to all the disabled persons provision of free health facilities255 (1) every beneficiary shall be entitled to health facilities free of cost from such hospitals, including privately owned hospitals, as may be specified by the appropriate government from time to time(2) the free health facilities shall include:—(i) consultation; (ii) outpatient treatment; (iii) diagnostic and laboratory services; (iv) indoor treatment;30(v) surgery; and (vi) medicines(3) no beneficiary shall be charged any amount for availing any healthcare facility mentioned in sub-section (2) by any hospital, including privately owned hospitals, specified under sub-section (1) by the appropriate government356 (1) the central government shall enter into an agreement with all nationalized insurance companies for implementation of the provisions of this act(2) the nationalized insurance companies shall enter into agreement with privately owned hospitals to provide health services to the beneficiaries covered under the health insurance scheme40agreement with nationalized insurance companies and private hospitals(3) the nationalized insurance companies shall make payment to privately owned hospitals at such rates, as may be agreed upon by both the parties, for providing health services free of cost to the beneficiaries covered under health insurance schemerelease of funds7 the central government shall, after due appropriation made by parliament by law in this behalf, provide in each financial year such sums of money to the state governments and nationalized insurance companies as it thinks necessary for implementation of the provisions of this act5surrender of health card8 if any beneficiary intends to surrender his health insurance card issued undersection 4, he shall inform in writing to such authority as may be designated for the purpose by the appropriate governmentinspection of hospitals109 (1) any nationalized insurance company which has entered into an agreement withprivate hospital under section 6, may either itself or through an agency designated in that behalf, inspect privately owned hospitals from time to time to ensure that provisions of this act are complied with(2) if any private hospital does not comply with the provisions of this act, the hospital shall be liable to pay such compensation, as may be prescribed in the agreement under section 615power to make rules10 (1) the central government may, by notification in the official gazette, make rulesfor carrying out the purposes of this act20(2) every rule under this act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each house of parliament, while it is in session, for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, both houses agree in making any modification in the rule or both the houses agree that the rule should be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule statement of objects and reasonspersons born as disabled or becoming disabled after birth have to depend on othersadequate healthcare facilities are not available to disabled people in our country disabled persons are not in a position to bear the cost of treatment in private hospitals, government hospitals, medical colleges and medical institutions like postgraduate institute of medical education and research, chandigarh and all india institute of medical sciences the state governments also are not providing adequate healthcare facilities to the disabled person the cost of medical treatment alongwith medicines is out of reach for disabled persons every disabled person is forced to die after living a very tormented life due to lack of money for meeting the expenses of his medical treatmenttherefore, it is proposed to provide adequate healthcare facilities to all disabled persons, free of cost private hospitals should also be made accountable for providing healthcare facilities to all disabled personsthe bill seeks to achieve the above objectivespankaj  chaudharyfebruary 3, 2015 financial memorandumclause 3 of the bill provides for formulation and implementation of a comprehensive health insurance scheme for disabled persons by the central government clause 5 provides for certain health facilities free of cost to disabled persons clause 7 provides for supply of funds to the state governments and nationalised insurance companies for the purposes of the bill by the central government the bill, therefore, if enacted, would involve expenditure from the consolidated fund of india it is estimated that an annual recurring expenditure to the tune of rupees five thousand crore is likely to be involveda non-recurring expenditure of about rupees five thousand crore is also likely to be involved memorandum  regarding  delegated  legislationclause 10 of the bill empowers the central government to make rules for carrying out the purposes of this bill as the rules will relate to matters of detail only, the delegation of legislative power is of a normal character———— a billto provide for a health insurance scheme for disabled persons and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto————(shri pankaj chaudhary, mp)gmgipmrnd—4751ls(s3)—04-03-2015