Health Insurance for Domestic Workers
13. Jul, 2011 
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The Union Cabinet has approved a health insurance scheme under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) for domestic workers in the country. The insurance is intended to provide cashless smart-card health insurance of upto Rs. 30,000 annually. Around 47.50 lakh domestic workers are engaged in India and this scheme will benefit all those under the poverty line in any empanelled hospital in the country. A maximum of five members per family would be covered. The beneficiaries would have to get identification certificates from any two of the four institutions — the employer, resident welfare associations, registered trade unions or the police. 
The funds for the scheme will be allocated from the National Social Security Fund for Unorganized Workers. The premium will be shared by the Central and State governments in the ratio 75:25. The RSBY is being implemented in 25 States and Union Territories.
This is a much needed social security measure for this unorganized sector. Today, many households take the responsibility of the medical treatment of their domestic workers who work exclusively for them but in most cases they are a neglected lot. The small portion of the organized domestic workforce which is unionized would have reasons to celebrate once this facility is put in place. The difficult part would be getting 2 identification certificates from one of the four institutions, as framed in the guidelines.
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