The Meghalaya cabinet on July 26 approved the implementation of Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS) phase-IV by converging with the health protection scheme of the Central government which was launched under Ayushman Bharat Programme.

Health and Family Welfare Minister A L Hek said that the MHIS phase-IV has been approved for implementation and the health coverage is upto Rs 5 lakh per year per household. Hek said, unlike the earlier phases, the MHIS phase-IV implementation would cover all citizens of the state except government employees.

He said the scheme would now cover various tests and investigations of sicknesses too. “The MHIS coverage earlier was Rs 2.8 lakh per card holder (five beneficiaries in one card) per year, but now the health cover has been enhanced to Rs 5 lakh per year per household,” Hek said. A total of 8.8 lakh families would be covered under this scheme.