NSPA Issues New Guidelines for Aasandha Scheme
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The National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) has recently released updated guidelines regarding the provision of services under the Aasandha Scheme.
The notable inclusion in these guidelines is the provision for citizens to undergo free medical checkups.
According to the new directives, medical checkup services will now be offered to individuals based on age-specific packages designated by Aasandha Company Limited. These packages can be availed once a year, with the possibility of a second checkup within the same year, subject to a doctor’s recommendation.
The completion of a medical checkup will be contingent upon the customer receiving all services outlined in the designated package. Government hospitals and health centres will be the primary providers of these medical checkup services, and the results will be shared with Aasandha Company following a specified policy.
In addition to the provisions for medical checkups, the guidelines address the coverage of expenses for transferring patients abroad for treatment under Aasandha. Approval for such transfers must be sought, and if the change in cost is less than 10%, it will be facilitated at no additional cost.
However, for changes exceeding 10%, patients will bear the additional expenses. Aasandha Company is obligated to inform patients of the estimated costs and obtain their consent in such cases.
Moreover, should a patient transfer to another hospital mid-treatment, resulting in repeated examinations from the previous hospital, the associated costs will be the responsibility of the patient. While travel expenses within the same city will be covered by Aasandha, patients transferring to hospitals in other cities will need to cover their own travel costs.
Furthermore, the guidelines outline that requests for treatment abroad must be directed to foreign hospitals accepting Aasandha insurance. Aasandha Company will publish details regarding the grading of foreign hospitals that accept their insurance.
Additionally, women’s health treatments, addressing conditions such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), will now be accessible through any diagnosis covered by Aasandha. These treatments will be provided free of charge at centres registered with Aasandha Company.