Medical emergencies can strike at any time. This is the reason why we often take out health insurance policies so that when the time comes, we do not find ourselves in a financial crunch. There are a number of different companies offering health insurance with a variety of features and benefits, covering various medical conditions at multiple hospitals. But as thorough as they may seem, the majority of these insurance schemes all suffer from one major downfall – the monthly premium is too expensive. This is why the Government of Goa decided to step in a few years ago with the introduction of its own health insurance scheme, with the sole aim of being accessible to all. This scheme is the Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana or DDSSY.
How does DDSSY work?
Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana or DDSSY for short is a simple, yet extremely comprehensive cashless health insurance policy that is offered to every resident of Goa. The policy is uniform across all residents and falls under two main values. A family of 3 or less is offered a sum of 2.5 lakhs per annum, while a family of 4 or more is offered a sum of 4 lakhs per annum. There are no health-related pre-requisites, which means regardless of your current health condition, you can apply for DDSSY, and have it take effect immediately. This cashless insurance scheme is also accepted at all major public and private hospitals in Goa and select hospitals in the neighbouring states.
Eligibility and registration
As per the Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana (DDSSY) scheme, any person residing in the State of Goa for five years or more is declared eligible to apply for the insurance. The family is not confined to just a nuclear setup but can include in-laws in case the eligible family person is female. It is important that the family unit is not split. The only instance of ineligibility is Central/State Government employees and their families covered under government medical reimbursement are not eligible under DDSSY. Registration costs as little as Rs. 250 per annum for a family of 3 or less, and Rs. 300 for a family of 4 and above. In order to apply for the DDSSY scheme, applicants need to submit an Aadhaar Card copy fo every family member, residence proof of all eligible members, and a ration card to define a family. All copies need to be self-attested.
Services offered under DDSSY
The Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana (DDSSY) scheme is very comprehensive, covering hundreds of conditions and in-patient procedures in various categories. These categories include cardiology, nephrology, oncology, gynaecology, and even general medicine to name a few. Similar to most insurance policies, DDSSY covers mainly procedures that require admission (though there are few exceptions) across the majority of the private and public hospitals in Goa and select hospitals in Belgaum, Mangalore, and Bangalore. Since this is a cashless scheme, the insurance holder simply needs to approach the dedicated DDSSY counter at these hospitals and present their card along with the necessary paperwork on the admission of the patient. The DDSSY scheme will, in turn, cover all incurred expenses, including accommodation in the general ward, the cost of the procedure, and all medication associated with the admission.
For a list of all the empanelled hospitals, you can click here. To apply for the Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana (DDSSY) scheme, you can visit any of the District Hospitals or Public Health Centers mentioned here. Renewal of the scheme happens annually between July 1st and August 31st. What do you think of the DDSSY scheme? Let us know in the comments below.
