Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Tuesday (August 4, 2026) that the Congress-led State government is set to launch a new health insurance scheme offering coverage of up to ₹10 lakh, aimed at ensuring quality healthcare access for economically weaker families across the State.
Presiding over a high-level meeting of the health department in Shimla, Mr. Sukhu said that under the proposed policy, poor families would receive health insurance coverage of up to ₹10 lakh at a highly affordable premium.
“With this pioneering initiative, Himachal Pradesh would become the first state in the country to offer such a comprehensive health insurance scheme at a nominal premium. Nearly 10 lakh families belonging to various sections of society would be brought under the ambit of the new policy,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that leading multi-speciality and tertiary care hospitals would also be empanelled under the scheme to ensure that these families were not deprived of advanced medical treatment due to economic constraints. “The policy had been designed with the objective of providing equitable access to quality healthcare for every eligible citizen,” he added.
Asserting that the State government had been consistently introducing innovative initiatives to strengthen the healthcare sector, the Chief Minister said that hospitals and medical education institutions were being modernised, while medical diagnostic services were being upgraded through automation across the State. “This initiative would enable patients to avail timely, efficient and hassle-free diagnostic services, besides ensuring greater convenience and saving valuable time. The state government was strengthening healthcare infrastructure in district hospitals and all government medical colleges to ensure that people receive quality medical treatment closer to their homes,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that the State government was committed to developing world-class healthcare facilities within Himachal Pradesh so that people do not have to travel outside the state for advanced medical treatment.
Published - August 05, 2026 11:46 am IST
Source: The Hindu - India News
