Domestic Workers to be Covered in Health Insurance Scheme

Extension of the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) to all the registered domestic workers in the country has been approved by the Union Cabinet. The scheme is expected to cover approximately 47.50 lakh domestic workers in the country.

The scheme envisages smart card based cashless health insurance cover up to Rs.30,000/- in any empanelled hospital anywhere in the country. The funds will be allocated from the National Social Security Fund for Unorganised Workers.

The premium will be shared by the Central and State Governments in the ratio of 75:25. In case of northeast regional and Jammu and Kashmir the ratio is 90:10.

Domestic work forms one of the largest sectors of female employment in the urban areas. Domestic workers are unorganized and the sector remains unregulated and unprotected by labour laws.

These workers come from vulnerable communities and backward areas. Most of these are poor, vulnerable, illiterate, unskilled and do not understand the urban labour market.

Source-ANI