The innovative scheme of Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY) announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Independence Day last year that was formally launched on October 1, 2007 and activated on April 1 2008 is all set for a global stage.

After getting accolades in the Wall Street Journal that carried a detailed article on RSBY titled “India’s poor get health card to fund medical treatment”, the World Bank has now invited the Indian officials to make a presentation of the scheme before other countries at the World Bank headquarters in Washington.

The presentation is scheduled for November during the annual meeting of the World Bank on “most innovative ideas”. At the meeting, countries selected for their innovative ideas, share their plans with other nations.

The cashless and paperless health insurance (RSBY) is made available for BPL (below poverty line) families across the nation.

Under the RSBY, a smart card is given to a BPL family that contains complete personal data and thumb impressions of the entire family members. Over five lakh cards have so far been issued in 16 states and 1,200 patients have already used their cards in Haryana, Delhi and Punjab.

“The biometrics help check any misuse of card,” said Anil Swaroop, Director General Labour Welfare.

To obtain the smart card, each BPL family has to pay Rs 30 that entitles the entire family — head of the family/spouse and three children — to receive over 700 medical treatments/surgeries costing up to Rs 30,000 for one year. Once the whole money is debited from the beneficiary’s account he can get a recharge of the same amount by again paying Rs 30.

The salient feature of the scheme is that it actually empowers the economically backward family to choose the service provided by various government or private hospitals.

Swaroop said that several experiments on health insurance schemes have failed so far and the world is looking for a foolproof scheme.

“It is considered a technically innovative scheme as this card is cashless and paperless involving transactions that are done electronically,” said Swaroop, who will be heading to Washington in November to make the presentation. “In two months time, details of each card distributed and in use will be available on the Internet,” added Swaroop. While the Centre finances 75 per cent of the cost of the scheme, the state governments have to pay 25 per cent.

For the distribution of cards, an electronic list of… eligible BPL households is also provided to the insurance company according to a pre-specified format. The list is also posted in each village prior to the enrollment, the date and location for which it is publicised in advance.

The mobile stations are set up at local centers and are equipped with hardware required to collect biometric information of family members. They also print smart cards and distribute information pamphlet describing the scheme.