Jharkhand Govt Launches Health Insurance Scheme For Advocates

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday (May 3) launched the Advocates Health Insurance Scheme at an event in Ranchi.

The scheme will cover nearly 27,000 advocates and their families registered under the Jharkhand Advocates' Welfare Fund Trustee Committee. It will become effective from May 1.

In the first phase, 15,000 advocates have been linked with the scheme. The beneficiary does not have to pay any premium amount. The scheme provides cashless treatment coverage of up to ₹5 lakh for general illnesses and up to ₹10 lakh for critical cases to Advocates and their families.

As stated on the website of State Employees Health Insurance Scheme, medical coverage is provided three beneficiary categories. Advocates registered under the Welfare Fund Trustee Committee constituted at the High Court level fall under the Category C.

The website states that dependents of the lawyers who can also claim benefits will include:

• Spouse / Wife / Son / Legitimate Adopted Son (Provided unemployed upto 25 years of age)
• Daughter (Unmarried/Widow/Abandoned Daughter)
• Minor brother and unmarried sister
• Dependent parents (in the case of pensioners receiving pension less than Rs. 9000/- per month and the dearness relief at that time)
• Lifetime health insurance benefits will be provided to disabled dependents
• In the case of female workers, one of the parents or mother-in-law will be in the dependent category
• In the case of both the husband and wife being employees of the state government, both of them cannot be shown as dependents of each other and their children will be considered as dependents of either of them

The Standard Operating procedure on the scheme regarding basic coverage, states:

a) Sum Insured: Rs 5 Lakhs per family on a floater basis, annually for all members under the insurance scheme.

b) Coverage: Covers the entire family

c) Cashless Facility: Available for all claims within the network hospitals in Jharkhand and outside Jharkhand as per agreed package.

On contribution of premium regarding Category C (advocates) it states:

"Premium payment for this category of applicant (i.e. Advocates) would be received only through bulk payment method as decided by Advocates Medical Insurance Committee under Jharkhand Advocate Trustee Committee. For category B and C (advocates) the policy period will be effective from 01.05.2025 to 28.02.2026 and the beneficiary will have to contribute the premium amount of Rs. 5000/- per family unit for current policy period upto 28.02.2026. All the data should be shared to JSAS as well as the premium amount should be paid latest by 23.04.2025. For next policy period i.e from 01.03.2026 to 28.02.2027 the beneficiary of all the categories will have to contribute the premium amount of Rs. 6000/- per family unit or as decided by the authority. All the premium for this period should be paid by 20.02.2027. The same process will be followed for further policy period". 

To implement this scheme, the state government has tied up with Tata AIG Health Insurance Company (L1 Bidder), which will provide cashless medical services in more than 2500 private and government hospitals.

-PVC Health Card will be issued free of cost to the beneficiaries and their dependents by the selected insurance company

-15 days of pre and 30 (thirty) days of post hospitalization and follow-up treatment will also be accepted for all types of medical treatment under the health insurance plan. The medical expenses will be paid by the selected insurance company

-If the beneficiary has taken health insurance for himself and his dependents from a private/government insurance company, then even in such a situation, the beneficiary and dependents will be eligible for this scheme.

-According to the procedure established by the selected insurance company, a corporate buffer of 50 crores will be maintained from its own funds.