AI SummaryKerala government has set up a technical expert committee to prepare the detailed project report for Oommen Chandy Health Insurance Scheme, which will give every family in the state a health cover of up to ₹25 lakh a year. The committee has four months to submit its report, so registration for the scheme has not started yet.
Chief Minister V D Satheesan, who also holds the finance department, announced the scheme in the revised Kerala Budget 2026-27 on 19 June 2026 and set aside ₹10 crore for its early expenses. It is one of the UDF's "Indira Guarantee" poll promises, named after former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
Oommen Chandy Health Insurance Scheme registration status
No application form, official website or registration link has been released yet. Registration will open only after the report is accepted, the cabinet approves the scheme and the government issues its notification. Don't share Aadhaar or bank details on any website that claims to be registering people for it right now.
Principal Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department heads the expert committee. Officials from the Finance and Planning departments are members, along with three former insurance company heads: Girish Radhakrishnan of United India Insurance, P. J. Joseph, a former IRDAI member, and K. Sanath Kumar of National Insurance. With a four-month deadline set in late September 2026, the report is due around January 2027.
Benefits under Oommen Chandy scheme
Here is what the government has said so far about the ₹25 lakh cover.
- Each family will get health insurance cover of up to ₹25 lakh a year, which is five times the ₹5 lakh cover under KASP.
- Treatment will be cashless at empanelled government and private hospitals. The Chief Minister told the Assembly on 22 June 2026 that private hospitals will be partners in the scheme.
- Kerala State Health Agency, which runs KASP now, is expected to run this scheme as well.
The scheme is planned for all families in Kerala, but it won't be free for everyone. The Chief Minister said families with high income need not be exempted from paying the premium. So the premium is likely to be waived only for BPL and economically backward families, while higher-income households pay a fixed amount. The exact premium will be decided when the government signs agreements with insurance companies.
Schemes to be merged into Oommen Chandy scheme
Kerala plans to bring its existing treatment schemes under the new scheme, including Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi (KASP) and the Karunya Benevolent Fund. KASP now covers about 42 lakh families with ₹5 lakh a year each.
The government is still deciding a few things before the launch:
- Whether Medisep for state government employees and pensioners, and insurance schemes that public sector firms run for their staff, should come under it.
- Whether a single-member family should get the same ₹25 lakh cover as a bigger family.
- Whether Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY and other central schemes can be merged into it.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Scheme Name | Oommen Chandy Health Insurance Scheme |
| Announced By | CM V D Satheesan in Kerala Budget 2026-27 (19 June 2026) |
| Health Cover | Up to ₹25 lakh per family per year |
| Beneficiaries | All families in Kerala, free for BPL and economically backward families |
| Initial Allocation | ₹10 crore |
| Department Running the Scheme | Kerala State Health Agency (expected) |
| Application Mode | Registration not started |
| Current Status | Expert committee preparing the project report, due in four months |
What KASP cardholders should do now
Keep using your KASP card. KASP and the Karunya Benevolent Fund are still running, so cashless treatment at empanelled hospitals goes on as usual until the merger is notified. Hospital list and scheme details are on sha.kerala.gov.in, and the helpline number is 0471 4063121.
FAQ's
When will Oommen Chandy Health Insurance Scheme start?
No launch date is fixed. The government had first aimed to launch it at Onam 2026, but the scheme now waits for the expert committee report, cabinet approval and notification.
Is the ₹25 lakh cover per person or per family?
It is per family per year. Whether small families get the same amount is still being discussed.
Will Kerala government employees get this scheme?
Not decided yet. The government is checking whether Medisep should come under it, and Medisep continues for employees and pensioners until then.