Delhi government is working on a scheme to ensure health insurance for all-on the sidelines of the BPL(below poverty line) insurance scheme. The scheme is expected to be launched by the end of February. The state health department is in discussions with insurance companies about schemes for the middle class too under which the premiums would be linked to salary structures and would cover almost all common and expensive ailments such as heart, urological system, neurology etc.

A take-off from the Y S Rajesekhara Reddy's Rajiv Arogyashri Health Insurance Scheme in Andhra Pradesh, the scheme, once it starts will be amongst the first of its kind in the country. Reddy had in 2007, talked about extending the scheme to those from families other than those from the BPL category.

Health minister Kiran Walia said ``We would like it to get started as soon as possible because the whole idea is to reach out to the middle class. As it is BPL categories are entitled to free treatment, it is those above poverty line who often end up caught between crowded government hospitals and overpriced private hospitals.''

She pointed out that the government has had talks with officials of Andhra Pradesh health department. Walia said, "We had in fact invited the Andhra health minister here to understand the model properly. The experience in that state has shown that the moment the BPL scheme is in place, there is a competitive effort on the part of insurance companies to broadbase their clientele and a somewhat automatic network expansion."

The scheme aims at providing rational premium rates for people above the poverty line by the assured payment that the company would get for the BPL scheme. "Whichever company wins the bid will have to put in place schemes for the middle class too. This is somewhat like the model we have adopted for PPP management of the super-speciality hospitals at Tahirpur and Janakpuri where 70% beds will be operated on a ``no-profit no loss'' basis to ensure affordable healthcare for those who have the capacity to pay,'' Walia explained.

Bihar government on Tuesday signed MoUs with three insurance firms - ICICI Lombard, Chola Mandalam M S Insurance and Royal Sundaram - for giving Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) benefits to below poverty line (BPL) families in 22 districts.