Punjab government signs MoU under ‘Chief Minister’s Health Scheme’
CHANDIGARH: In a historic move toward achieving Universal Health Coverage as promised by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Government is all set to roll out the ‘Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna’ (MMSY) this month. Marking a significant milestone, an agreement was signed on Friday with the United India Insurance Company in the presence of Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh to provide ₹10 lakh cashless health insurance cover to all families of Punjab.
This development follows the recent announcement by CM Bhagwant Singh Mann to launch the scheme in January 2026, ensuring health dignity and financial protection for every household. The agreement was signed by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) State Health Agency (SHA) Sanyam Aggarwal and Executive Director United India Insurance company Mathew George.
Declaring it a landmark reform, Health Minister Balbir Singh said that the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna significantly expands health protection from the earlier ₹5 lakh coverage, which was limited to specific categories. “The new scheme aims to provide cashless treatment up to ₹10 lakh per family per year to all residents of Punjab, including government employees and pensioners,” he said.
He said that CM Bhagwant Singh Mann and AAP National Convenor of Arvind Kejriwal will formally launch this scheme on January 15, 2026.
The Health Minister emphasised that the scheme is designed for total inclusivity, featuring no income cap or exclusion criteria. “Enrolment has been made simple and accessible through Common Service Centres (CSCs) using only Aadhaar and Voter IDs, after which beneficiaries will receive dedicated MMSY health cards. A helpline will be launched soon to facilitate the process,” he added.
Highlighting the operational framework, Minister Balbir Singh informed that United India Insurance Company—selected for its proven track record in implementing similar health insurance schemes in other states, such as Tamil Nadu—will provide coverage of ₹1,00,000 per family for all 65 lakh families in the state. “For treatment requirements between ₹1,00,000 and ₹10,00,000, the insurance will be provided by the State Health Agency (SHA) Punjab on a trust basis,” he said.
“The selection of United India Insurance brings the advantage of specialists to manage CPD processing efficiently, ensuring faster claim settlements and reduced payment turnaround times,” said the Health Minister.
Dr. Balbir Singh further detailed that the scheme adopts the latest Health Benefit Package (HBP 2.2), ensuring comprehensive coverage through more than 2,000 selected treatment packages. “Beneficiaries can access secondary and tertiary care across a robust network of 824 empaneled hospitals, which currently includes 212 Public Hospitals, eight Government of India Hospitals, and over 600 Private Hospitals. The number of empaneled hospitals is expected to increase further as the scheme progresses,” he concluded.
