A health insurance scheme worth Rs 200,000 has been approved for 4.5 million schoolchildren between the ages of 5 to 19. The scheme will cover all students in government schools, non-aided or aided private schools, pirivena schools and international schools. Children with critical illnesses will have the cover extended up to Rs 100 million.
These illnesses include cancer, renal failure, primary pulmonary arterial hypertension, multiple sclerosis, major organ transplantation, coronary artery (by-pass) surgery, surgery-aorta, heart valve replacement, stroke, myocardial infarction, heart attack, coma, blindness and paralysis. Cabinet approved the above proposal put forward by Minister of Education, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam recently. The health scheme for students was a 2017 budget proposal and the government had allocated Rs 2.7 billion for this purpose.
The scheme will provide Rs 10,000 per student for OPD treatment, up to Rs 100,000 in case of hospitalisation, Rs 100,000 for the sudden death of a pupil, Rs 75,000 for the sudden death of a parent, Rs 100,000 for complete disability and Rs 50,000 to 100,000 for partial disability. Cabinet also decided to award the provision of the scheme to the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation at a yearly premium of Rs 2.348 billion.