Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Sep 17: Beneficiaries of the Labour Welfare Scheme are set to receive higher reimbursement limits for the treatment of various diseases under proposed changes by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, according to people aware of the matter.
Under the proposed revamp, the reimbursement limit for heart diseases is expected to increase to Rs 2 lakh from Rs 1.3 lakh, while the limit for kidney treatment will rise to Rs 3 lakh from Rs 2 lakh. The kidney treatment coverage will also be expanded to include dialysis.
For several other illnesses, the reimbursement ceiling is proposed to increase to Rs 40,000 per disease from the existing Rs 30,000. These include tuberculosis, hernia, appendectomy, ulcer, gynaecological and prostate diseases, and cataract.
The revised provisions are also expected to cover diagnostic tests and investigations for these illnesses, with reimbursement linked to actual expenditure subject to prescribed ceilings, the sources said.
An email query sent to the Ministry of Labour and Employment did not elicit a response till the time of publication.
The Labour Welfare Scheme provides health, education and other welfare assistance to beedi workers, cine workers and workers in specified non-coal mines, as well as their families. It is a central-sector scheme financed through grants from the Union government.
The scheme was allocated Rs 52 crore in the 2026-27 Budget, compared with Rs 50.68 crore in 2025-26. The allocation had risen to Rs 78.09 crore in the Revised Estimates for 2025-26.
As part of the proposed revamp, the ministry plans to create a digital beneficiary database linked to Aadhaar or another unique identification number. The database is expected to draw on existing worker records, including eShram, the government’s national database of unorganised workers.
The proposed system will also provide QR code-enabled health cards and a portal for beneficiary registration, medical claims and digital health records. The health component is expected to use the Next Gen e-Hospital platform for online enrolment, outpatient and inpatient registration, e-claims and digital medical records.
The scheme is implemented through 18 regions, with each Labour Welfare Organisation headed by a welfare commissioner under the administrative control of the Directorate General of Labour Welfare. Its health component operates through 10 hospitals and 279 dispensaries across these regions.
The scheme covers beedi workers, including those working from home, cine workers and workers employed in specified non-coal mines, including iron ore, manganese ore and chrome ore, limestone and dolomite, and mica mines.
Cine workers covered under the scheme include those employed directly or through contractors in connection with the production of feature films. This includes workers in skilled, unskilled, technical, artistic, manual and supervisory roles.
To qualify, workers must have income from all sources of up to Rs 21,000 a month or Rs 2.52 lakh a year, be aged 60 or below and have completed at least six months of continuous service. They are required to establish their employment through prescribed identity cards or worker records. The beneficiary database is proposed to be linked to Aadhaar or another unique identification number.
For dependants to receive treatment benefits, one year of continuous service will be required.
The proposed changes come amid documented health concerns among some of the worker groups covered by the scheme. A 2023 review by The George Institute for Global Health and the World Health Organization, published in BMJ Global Health, examined 95 studies on beedi workers in India.
The review found evidence of serious respiratory, gastrointestinal, neurological and gynaecological diseases among beedi workers, including tuberculosis, asthma and chronic bronchitis. It also cited a study that found female beedi workers were nearly twice as likely to develop cervical cancer as non-beedi workers.
In specified non-coal mines, fatalities and deaths linked to accidents also increased in 2024. According to Directorate General of Mines Safety data, the number of fatal accidents rose to 33 in 2024 from 28 in 2023, while deaths increased to 40 from 33.
Alongside higher treatment reimbursement, the proposed guidelines seek to overhaul how beneficiaries access and manage healthcare. The digital system will support online enrolment, registration for outpatient and inpatient departments, e-claims and digital medical records.
Health analytics will also be used for disease surveillance and policy planning, while the proposed health cards will provide for biometric authentication.