Kerala Gov Clears Universal Health Coverage Plan to Bridge Insurance Gaps

The new “Health Protection for All” initiative aims to close this gap by ensuring financial protection for those who currently lack eligibility for existing schemes.

The Kerala government has approved a Universal Health Coverage through the “Health Protection for All” project, to expand medical protection to residents who are currently not included in existing insurance or treatment assistance programmes. The move is intended to ensure broader healthcare access across the state.

The Health Department prepared a proposal for comprehensive coverage in 2025 after extensive consultations, policy analysis, and discussions across administrative levels. The plan was developed following directions from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and was later reviewed during the Vision 2031 policy discussions.

A meeting chaired by the Chief Minister in November gave the go-ahead to move forward with the initiative, which was also referenced in the state budget this year.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George confirmed that the government has issued an order granting in-principle approval for the new programme.

In a social media post, she said the initiative is aimed at individuals who are not currently part of programmes such as the Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi (KASP), the Karunya Benevolent Fund, MEDISEP, or other health insurance initiatives.

“The government approved the Health for All initiative after nearly a year of discussions and evaluations conducted at various levels, based on directions from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The proposal was also discussed during the Vision 2031 review meetings,” the minister said.

Kerala’s existing health coverage ecosystem already reaches millions of families. Under the Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi, families receive treatment coverage of up to INR 5 lakh annually, with around 42 lakh families currently holding KASP cards.

In addition, families not included under KASP but earning below INR 3 lakh per year are eligible for treatment assistance of up to INR 2 lakh through the Karunya Benevolent Fund, along with an additional benefit of up to INR 1 lakh for kidney-related diseases.

According to the health department, treatment assistance, once capped at around INR 30,000 and reaching roughly 40,000 families, has now grown into a far broader network of programmes. Over the past five years alone, Kerala has delivered free medical treatment valued at approximately INR 8,425 Cr.

Despite these programmes, policymakers have acknowledged that a sizeable number of families still fall outside formal coverage systems. The new “Health Protection for All” initiative aims to close this gap by ensuring financial protection for those who currently lack eligibility for existing schemes.

The government has also directed the State Health Agency to begin taking the necessary steps to implement the programme. Once operational, the initiative is expected to extend medical support to lakhs of additional families across the state, strengthening publicly funded healthcare access.

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