Wednesday, August 15, 2012

‘Employees Health Care Fund Scheme’ & Implementation

Image by FlamingText.com 

 Employees Health Care Fund Scheme & Implementation

To download GO MS NO 184, dt.14.08.2012 Click here
To download GO MS NO 186, dt.14.08.2012 Click here 
 
The AP Government, have decided to provide comprehensive health care to all Government Employees, Pensioners, and their family members, on cashless basis, through an appropriate scheme in lieu of the present medical reimbursement system under ‘The Andhra Pradesh Integrated medical Attendance Rules, 1972 (APIMA Rules, 1972)’.
2. After holding a series of meetings with the Joint Action Committee of Employees, Pensioners Associations and A.P. Secretariat Employees’ Co-ordination Committee representatives, and based on the inputs received during these meetings, Government
issued orders in the G.O. 1st read above constituting a Technical Committee headed by
Commissioner, Health & Family Welfare and Chief Executive Officer, Aarogyasri Health
Care Trust (CEO-AHCT) as its Member-Convenor to analyse all aspects of the scheme
and make comprehensive recommendations for its effective implementation. In acceptance of the recommendations of the Technical Committee, orders were issued in
the G.O. 2nd read above, constituting a State Level Committee (SLC) headed by Special
Chief Secretary to Govt., HM&FW Dept., with eight (8) more official members, including
CEO-AHCT as member-Convenor and the representatives of Services Associations, to
examine the recommendations of the Technical Committee, and to offer recommendations on all the modalities to be adopted finally for launching of the Scheme.
3. The State Level Committee met on 22-11-2011, 19-01-2012 and on17-02-2012, and based on the decisions taken in the meetings, the CEO-AHCT submitted a ‘draft Scheme’ to Government vide his letter 3rd read above.
4. The salient features of the Scheme based on the earlier decisions were discussed with the representatives of the various Services Associations on 03-08-2012 in the meeting convened by the Principal Secretary to Government, Health, Medical and Family Welfare Department and a consensus has been arrived at on the salient features
of the Employees Health Care Fund Scheme (EHF) and on the ‘Operational guidelines relating to the issue of Identity Cards to all the beneficiaries under the Scheme’.
5. Government, after careful examination of the matter, have decided to approve the ‘Employees Health Care Fund Scheme (EHF)’ and hereby issue the following orders for implementation of EHF.
i) AHCT will be the implementing agency as a service provider for the Scheme,
initially for a period of two (2) years.
ii) The salient features of the Scheme are given in the annexure to this
Government Order.
iii) A Steering Committee headed by the Chief Secretary will monitor the Scheme and review its implementation from time to time. Principal Secretary-Finance, Secretary(Services) GAD, Principal Secretary-Medical and Health, Commissioner Family Welfare, Director of Medical Education, Director of Health and Family Welfare, Commissioner of APVVP, Director of Treasuries and Accounts, Pay and Accounts Officer, and representatives of employees and pensioners associations as identified by GAD Services Department will be members, and Chief Executive Officer-AHCT the member-convenor for this committee.
iv) Government Order on the Operational guidelines for concerned officers under the
control of Director of Treasuries and Accounts (DTA), Pay and Accounts Officer (PAO), Secretary to Government-Information Technology and Communication department (Secretary IT&C), Commissioner Civil Supplies and Ex-Officio Secretary to Government (Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs), District Collectors and Heads of Departments (HoD) for enrolment of beneficiaries, and operation of the Scheme by the Chief Executive Officer, Aarogyasri Health Care Trust will be issued separately.
v) The EHF will be jointly funded through monthly premium contribution by the State Government employees including the State Government pensioners to the extent of 40 percent, and Government to the extent of 60 percent. The CEO-AHCT will separately furnish the detailed estimates based on the fund forecast for this year.
vi) AHCT will ensure maximum coverage of employees and pensioners through the District Collectors and the HoDs concerned, so that EHF can be launched on 1st November 2012 for implementation of the Scheme in the entire State.
6. The Chief Executive Officer Aarogyasri Health Care Trust, Director of Treasuries and Accounts, Pay and Account Officer, District Collectors, Secretary IT&C, Commissioner Civil Supplies, and all Heads of Departments shall take necessary further action in the matter accordingly.
7. This order issues with the concurrence of Finance (Expr. M&H.1) Department vide their U.O. No.7581/260/A1/Expr.M&H-1/2012, dated: 14-08-2012.

In the G.O. 184 orders have been issued approving the ‘Employees Health Care Fund Scheme (EHF)’enlisting the salient features of the Scheme.  It was also mentioned in the said G.O. that Government Orders on the Operational guidelines for concerned officers under the control of Director of Treasuries and Accounts (DTA), Pay and Accounts Officer (PAO), Secretary to Government Information Technology and Communications department (Secretary IT&C), Commissioner Civil Supplies and Ex-Officio Secretary to Government (Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs), District Collectors and Heads of Departments (HoD) for enrolment of beneficiaries, and operation of the Scheme by the Chief Executive Officer, Aarogyasri Health Care Trust will be issued separately. 

2.         Government after careful examination, keeping in view the convenience of the beneficiaries under the scheme, the following orders are hereby issued.

A.  ENROLMENT OF BENEFICIARIES
  1. Beneficiaries shall mean the categories of beneficiaries covered under EHF.
  2. AHCT will be the service provider and implementing agency; Heads of Departments and District Collectors will be responsible for enrolment of State Government employees, State Government pensioners and their dependents.
  3. All HoDs and District Collectors will ensure that the Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) working under them as well as the District Treasury Officers / Sub-Treasury Officers concerned shall follow the process detailed below.
  4. The information as available at present with the treasury offices under HRMS with DTA will be utilised to the extent possible for enrolment.
  5. The data shall be collected in the HRMS Enrolment System (HRMS-ES) application maintained by AHCT as a single point of contact for the beneficiary.  The web address will be provided separately by 10-09-2012 for enrolment.