West Bengal Starts Ayushman Bharat Health Scheme
Listen to the story
The West Bengal government has officially launched the Ayushman Bharat health scheme in the state. It will run alongside the existing state scheme, the Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojana.
Ayushman Bharat is a national health insurance scheme that helps people cover the cost of medical treatment. Now, residents of West Bengal will have access to it.
The government has explained how it will select beneficiaries, meaning the people who are eligible to receive benefits under the scheme. It has also given information for people whose names do not appear on the list of beneficiaries, telling them what steps they can take.
Under the scheme, patients can get a discount of up to 80% on medicines. This is expected to reduce the cost of treatment for many families significantly.
The scheme covers a wide range of medical procedures, including organ transplant surgery. In total, as many as 1,950 different treatments are included under the plan.
The launch marks an important change in healthcare access for people in West Bengal, since two major insurance schemes will now be available together in the state.
Vocabulary11 words
- scheme
- an official plan or program run by the government
- insurance
- a system where money is provided to help with costs like illness
- beneficiaries
- people who are chosen to receive help or benefits
- discount
- a reduction in the usual price
- organ transplant
- a surgery to place a healthy body part into a patient
- eligible
- allowed to receive something because you meet the rules
- residents
- people who live in a certain place
- access
- the ability to use or get something
- procedures
- medical treatments or operations
- launch
- the official start of something new
- significantly
- by a large or important amount
Quiz
Answer key
1. Ayushman Bharat and Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojana 2. How they are selected and what to do if not listed 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The West Bengal government has officially launched the _____ health scheme in the state.
It will run alongside the existing state scheme, the Mukhyamantri Swasthya _____ Yojana.
Ayushman Bharat is a national health _____ scheme that helps people cover the cost of medical treatment.
The government has explained how it will select _____, meaning the people who are eligible to receive benefits.
It has also given information for people whose names do not appear on the _____ of beneficiaries.
Under the scheme, patients can get a _____ of up to 80% on medicines.
This is expected to reduce the cost of treatment for many families _____.
The scheme covers a wide range of medical procedures, including organ _____ surgery.
In total, as many as _____ different treatments are included under the plan.
The launch marks an important change in healthcare _____ for people in West Bengal.