Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package: Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19

What was the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package insurance scheme for health workers?

The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP): Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19 was a special, time-bound insurance cover announced by the Government of India at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Press Information Bureau release of 30 March 2020, the scheme provided a comprehensive personal accident cover of Rs 50 lakh to health care providers who were in direct contact with and caring for COVID-19 patients and who could be at risk of losing their lives.

The scheme was part of the wider Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package, the relief package announced by the Ministry of Finance in March 2020. The health workers' insurance component was administered by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and, in its first phase, underwritten through New India Assurance Company.

Key facts

• Launched on 30 March 2020 with an initial policy period of 90 days.
• Covered approximately 22.12 lakh health care providers across the country.
• Cover value: Rs 50 lakh for loss of life, paid to the nominee or legal heir.
• No individual enrolment, no premium payable by the worker, and no age limit.

The scheme is now closed. It was extended several times in blocks of 90 and 180 days as the pandemic continued, with the last extension of 180 days running from 19 April 2022. After that period the cover lapsed. This guide explains what the scheme covered and how a legacy claim is handled, so families of eligible workers know the correct route.

Who was eligible for the PMGKP health workers scheme?

The scheme deliberately used a wide definition of "health worker" so that no front-line category was left out.

Covered categories included:

• Public health care providers, doctors, nurses, paramedics and ward staff in central, state and municipal hospitals.
• Community health workers, including ASHA workers.
• Safai karamcharis, technicians, drivers and other support staff engaged in COVID-19 duty.
• Retired, volunteer, contract, daily-wage, ad-hoc and outsourced staff drafted in by central or state governments, and by autonomous or private hospitals requisitioned by the government, to fight COVID-19.

There was no age limit and no requirement to register in advance. The cover applied by virtue of the person being engaged in COVID-19 related care during the policy period.

Who cannot claim now: Because the scheme has lapsed, no new cover is available and individuals cannot apply for a personal policy under this name. A claim can only be made in respect of a health worker who died during a period when the cover was in force. Deaths outside the covered period, or of persons not engaged in the notified COVID-19 duties, are not eligible.

How much did the scheme pay?

The scheme paid a single, comprehensive Rs 50 lakh on loss of life due to COVID-19 while on duty, or accidental death arising from COVID-19 related duty. The amount was paid in full to the nominee or the legal heir of the deceased health worker. There was no graded scale and no separate disability component under this particular cover.

As on 15 July 2021, a total of 921 doctors and health workers had been paid Rs 50 lakh each under the scheme, according to figures placed before Parliament.

How to apply and claim under the PMGKP health workers scheme

Because there is no individual enrolment, there is also no self-application form. A claim is filed by the institution on behalf of the family. The steps that applied during the scheme's operation, and that govern legacy claims, are:

1. Obtain the death certificate of the health worker and a certificate from the treating hospital or district authority linking the death to COVID-19 and to the worker's duty.
2. Approach the employer or institution where the health worker served. The employer prepares the claim with proof of engagement in COVID-19 duty.
3. Route the claim through the District Collector or the designated nodal officer, who verifies and forwards it to the insurer.
4. Submit the nominee's documents — identity and relationship proof, and bank account details, so the Rs 50 lakh can be transferred on approval.

Families finding it hard to trace the correct nodal officer should contact the office of the District Collector or the state health department, or use the national health helpline 1075 for guidance on where to file.

What replaced the scheme?

The PMGKP insurance cover was a specific pandemic-era measure and was not renewed after its final extension. It was not converted into a permanent scheme. Health workers seeking accident or life cover today should look to their regular service benefits, state government insurance for their cadre, or general accident and life insurance products, rather than to this closed COVID-19 scheme.

Help and where to check

• National health helpline: 1075
• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: mohfw.gov.in
• District Collector / district health office for legacy claim routing

Because the scheme is closed, be cautious of any agent claiming to "enrol" you or a family member under this cover for a fee. No enrolment ever existed, and no premium was payable by workers or their families.