Govt revises cancer aid scheme, raises income ceiling to Rs 4 lakh

Financial assistance enhanced up to Rs 75,000

Govind Sharma

JAMMU, Aug 31: Jammu and Kashmir Government has revised the Cancer Treatment & Management Fund for Patients (CTMFP), enhancing financial assistance for eligible cancer patients and widening the coverage of the scheme.

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As per a Government order issued today by the General Administration Department, the annual family income eligibility ceiling under the scheme has been revised from Rs 20,000 per month to Rs 4 lakh per annum. The revision has been made to align the scheme with the present requirements of cancer patients and complement the coverage available under the Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY SEHAT scheme.

The CTMFP was launched in 2010 with the objective of facilitating early detection and treatment of cancer by providing financial assistance to patients belonging to economically weaker sections. The Government order notes that the scheme has provided support to thousands of families across J&K.

However, despite the expansion of inpatient cancer treatment coverage under AB-PMJAY-SEHAT, patients continue to incur significant expenses on OPD treatment, diagnostic tests, medicines and other related requirements. The revised scheme seeks to address these expenses, particularly for low- and middle-income families.

Under the revised assistance structure, cancer patients belonging to families with an annual income of up to Rs 3 lakh will be eligible for Rs 75,000, while those with an annual income of above Rs 3 lakh and up to Rs 4 lakh will receive Rs 50,000 in financial assistance.

Another major change is the provision for repeated assistance. Eligible beneficiaries can now receive financial assistance for a maximum of three sanctions, with each subsequent sanction becoming admissible only after 365 days from the date of the preceding sanction.

For subsequent assistance, beneficiaries will have to submit a fresh medical certificate confirming continuation of treatment, the latest income certificate and a certificate regarding admissibility of the proposed assistance. Patients who have already availed the earlier one-time assistance will also be eligible for the second and third sanctions, subject to fulfillment of the prescribed conditions.

The Government has also introduced Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for disbursal of assistance. Patient cases forwarded for sanction must include the bank account number, Aadhaar number and contact number. The sanctioned amount will be transferred directly to the beneficiary's bank account through the concerned Deputy Commissioner. The Deputy Commissioner will have to ensure credit of the amount within 72 hours of release of funds by the Chief Minister's Secretariat.

The scheme has also been expanded to cover all Government hospitals, Government Medical Colleges and other Government institutions providing cancer treatment, along with private hospitals registered, recognized and empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY-SEHAT scheme.