Dikhyaa Mohanty 
On Tuesday, the Odisha government approved the extension of BSKY (Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana) benefits to child members of NFSA/SFSS families in the age range of 5 to 18 years old whose names are missing from the NFSA/SFSS database. This approval is conditional upon the parent producing documentary evidence to support the claim that the person being treated is their child. Shalini Pandit, the Commissioner/Secretary of Health & Family Welfare/Chairperson of the State Health Assurance Society, sent a letter to all BSKY empanelled institutions on Tuesday regarding this.
The State Health Assurance Society has learned, according to the letter, that occasionally, despite a family’s NFSA/SFSS coverage, the names of some of the family’s children are not included in the NFSA/SFSS database. This is because there are no open positions in that Block to add new members to the NFSA/SFSS database. The hospital is unable to register and validate such kid beneficiaries for cashless care under BSKY as a consequence, the letter said.
The letter also explained that children under the age of five are already covered by BSKY on the basis of the cardholder’s self-declaration that the kid is a member of his or her family, in accordance with State Health Assurance Society regulation No. 597 of April 29, 2022.
