The NORKA Care health insurance project, set up by the Government of Kerala, has raised concerns that former expatriates who have returned to the state will not be included in the insurance coverage. The project is scheduled to be launched on September 22 by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Those with NORKA membership can register for the project from September 22 onwards, with the last date for enrollment being October 21. The policy will be implemented on November 1.
The insurance coverage includes two policies: the Group Mediclaim Policy (GMC) and the Group Personal Accidental Policy (GPA). Under the GMC policy, policyholders and their family members can receive up to Rs 5 lakh for any health issue, while the GPA policy provides up to Rs 10 lakh for all kinds of accidents. The medical insurance coverage is available for individuals between the ages of 18 and 70, but they must seek medical treatment in India to be eligible for the benefits.
The main issue with the project is that it excludes former expatriates who have returned to Kerala, as they do not possess NORKA’s ID card. This means that millions of former expatriates who have returned to the state will not be able to benefit from the insurance coverage. There have been calls for the authorities to include at least those who have returned to Kerala in the last few years.
The project has been designed to provide health insurance coverage to expatriates currently living in foreign countries and Keralites residing in other states. However, the exclusion of former expatriates has raised concerns that they will be left without access to affordable healthcare. The authorities have been urged to reconsider the eligibility criteria to ensure that all those who need health insurance coverage can access it.
The NORKA Care health insurance project aims to provide financial protection to expatriates and their families in case of medical emergencies. However, the current eligibility criteria may limit the benefits of the project to a smaller group of people. It remains to be seen whether the authorities will revise the eligibility criteria to include former expatriates who have returned to Kerala.