Dimple Oswal
Healthcare remains a paramount concern for single mothers. They often face significant challenges in managing medical expenses while juggling various responsibilities. These include raising children, maintaining a household, and earning a livelihood.
The unique and multifaceted challenges faced by single mothers necessitate targeted support. This support is crucial to ensure their well-being and that of their children.
Recognizing these challenges, the government has introduced several healthcare schemes. These schemes aim to ease the financial burden and ensure access to quality healthcare services.
This article offers a detailed overview of the key healthcare benefits available for single mothers in India. It explains how these schemes are structured and how they can be utilized.
Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)
Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) is one of the largest government-funded healthcare schemes in the world. This flagship health insurance scheme aims to provide substantial financial protection to low-income families. It particularly benefits those who are vulnerable to high medical expenses. The scheme plays a crucial role in safeguarding the health and financial stability of single mothers. These mothers often bear the entire responsibility for their family’s well-being.
Coverage
Under PM-JAY, single mothers can avail of health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 lahks per family per year. This coverage extends to a wide array of medical conditions, ranging from general illnesses to severe and chronic health issues. The insurance is comprehensive. It covers expenses related to hospitalization, including pre-existing conditions. This is particularly beneficial for those who might have had limited access to healthcare in the past.
The scheme offers extensive benefits. It helps reduce out-of-pocket expenses for single mothers and other women. This makes it easier for them to access necessary medical services without financial strain. These benefits include:
Pre and Post-Hospitalization Expenses: This scheme covers costs incurred before and after hospitalization, such as diagnostics and follow-up care.
Surgical Procedures: PM-JAY covers a wide range of surgical procedures, from routine surgeries to complex operations, ensuring that single mothers can receive the care they need without worrying about the cost.
Advanced Treatments: The coverage also includes some advanced medical treatments, such as cancer care and cardiovascular procedures, providing a safety net for single mothers facing serious health challenges.
Eligibility for Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana
The scheme is available to families identified through the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC), which includes many low-income single-mother households. This targeted approach ensures that those who are most in need of healthcare support can benefit from the scheme.
Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)
Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) is a scheme specifically designed to promote institutional deliveries and enhance maternal and child health. Single mothers, who may not have the same support systems as others, particularly benefit from this scheme, which offers them both financial assistance and access to quality healthcare during one of the most critical times in their lives.
Financial Assistance
JSY provides financial support to pregnant women, including single mothers, to encourage safe childbirth in medical institutions. This financial assistance helps cover various expenses related to delivery, such as hospital charges, transportation costs, and even nutritional needs during pregnancy. By alleviating these financial pressures, the scheme ensures that single mothers can focus on their health and the health of their babies.
Objectives
The primary objective of JSY is to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates by promoting institutional deliveries. By ensuring that more births take place in healthcare facilities, the scheme aims to reduce complications during childbirth and improve outcomes for both mothers and babies. For single mothers, who may lack access to traditional family support systems, this scheme is particularly valuable.
Implementation
The implementation of JSY is closely monitored to ensure that the benefits reach those in need effectively. Healthcare institutions are incentivized to adhere to the scheme’s guidelines, which helps maintain high standards of care. This approach ensures that single mothers receive the necessary support during childbirth, contributing to better health outcomes for their families.
Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY)
Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) is another crucial health insurance scheme targeting low-income families, including single mothers. The scheme is designed to provide financial protection against high hospitalization costs, which can be particularly burdensome for single-parent households.
Coverage
RSBY provides coverage for hospitalization expenses up to a certain limit, including medical treatments, surgical procedures, and other necessary healthcare services. Single mothers can use this insurance to cover medical costs for themselves and their children, ensuring that they have access to essential healthcare without the risk of financial ruin.
Features
One of the key features of RSBY is the provision of cashless treatment at empaneled hospitals. This means that single mothers do not need to pay upfront for medical treatments, which can be a significant relief in times of medical emergencies. The cashless treatment feature simplifies the process of accessing healthcare services and ensures that financial constraints do not prevent single mothers from receiving the care they need.
Eligibility
The scheme is aimed at families living below the poverty line, as identified through various socio-economic indicators. Single mothers meeting these criteria can benefit from the scheme’s provisions, which are designed to provide comprehensive health coverage for those who need it most.
Additional Healthcare Support and Resources for Single Mothers and Other Women
In addition to these primary healthcare schemes, single mothers in India may also benefit from various other government initiatives and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). These additional resources provide support in terms of healthcare, nutrition, and overall well-being. They can complement the benefits provided by the government schemes. This offers a more holistic approach to supporting single mothers.
Healthcare schemes such as PM-JAY, JSY, and RSBY play a vital role in supporting single mothers. They provide essential medical coverage and financial assistance. By reducing out-of-pocket expenses, these schemes promote access to quality healthcare. This helps single mothers ensure the well-being of themselves and their children without facing overwhelming financial burdens.
Access to such schemes improves their quality of life. It also contributes to better health outcomes for their families. Single mothers need to become aware of these benefits and how to access them. This knowledge empowers them to take control of their health and secure a better future for their children.
*Dimple Oswal is a Women’s Issues Activist and The Chief Editor of They Won Group of Online Magazines
Single Mothers Related Other Articles
Government Schemes for Single Mothers and Other Women
Roles and Responsibilities of Single Mothers
Single Mothers and Bureaucracy
Understanding and Supporting Divorcees
How Men & Society Treat Single Mothers?
They Won Hindi (Hindi Short Stories and Articles)
They Won Marathi (Hindi Short Stories and Articles)