AP Cabinet approves Universal Health Policy

The Andhra Pradesh State Cabinet, at its meeting held on 4 September, approved the Universal Health Policy aimed at providing health insurance to all residents of the State, irrespective of their financial status.

To be implemented under the Ayushman Bharat – NTR Vaidya Seva Yojna, the scheme will offer free treatment up to ₹25 lakh per year for each family. The government has prepared an action plan to extend health insurance coverage to 1.63 crore families across the State.

As part of the initiative, the government will roll out the NTR Vaidya Seva Hybrid Policy to provide free medical services in 2,493 network hospitals. Pre-authorisation management will be streamlined, enabling approval for medical treatment within just six hours.

Under the new policy, medical treatment claims up to ₹2.5 lakh will be handled by insurance companies, while the NTR Vaidya Seva Trust will bear the cost of treatment from ₹2.5 lakh to ₹25 lakh.

Presided over by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, the Cabinet meeting also approved another major decision — the establishment of 10 new medical colleges under the PPP model.

The new colleges will be set up in Adoni, Madanapalle, Markapuram, Pulivendula, Penugonda, Palakollu, Amalapuram, Narsipatnam, Bapatla, and Parvathipuram, in two phases.

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This article is written by Senior Journalist Lakkoju Nagesh Babu