The Government of Kerala has issued an order approving the implementation of Universal Health Coverage, which aims to provide health protection to all sections of society, according to Health Minister Veena George.
In a Facebook post, the minister explained that the scheme has been designed to provide healthcare coverage to people who are not currently included in existing programs such as Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi (KASP), the Karunya Benevolent Fund, MEDISEP, and other insurance programs.
The decision to launch the “Health Protection for All” project was taken following discussions and studies held at various levels over the past year, based on the direction of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, she said, news agency PTI reported.
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The issue was also discussed during the review meetings for Vision 2031, Veena George said. She noted that the new healthcare scheme is expected to provide relief to lakhs of families who are currently not covered under any medical treatment assistance programme.
The minister explained that about ten years ago, the treatment support provided by the Government of Kerala was limited to around Rs 30,000 per family and benefited only about 40,000 families. However, the situation has improved significantly in recent years.
Currently, families registered under the Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi (KASP) receive treatment coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per year. The number of families holding KASP cards in the state has now increased to nearly 42 lakh.
In addition, families who are not covered under KASP and have an annual income below Rs 3 lakh are eligible for treatment assistance of up to Rs 2 lakh through the Karunya Benevolent Fund. They can also receive an additional benefit of up to Rs 1 lakh specifically for kidney-related diseases.
The Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi scheme was introduced by the state government in 2019 to expand healthcare support and make medical treatment more accessible for people across the state.
The proposal for comprehensive health protection was prepared by the Health Department in 2025 after detailed discussions and analysis, George said.
A meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, in November approved moving forward with the project, and the scheme was also announced in the state Budget this year, the minister said.
