Improving access to quality health services and reducing income loss from catastrophic health shocks and financial cushion in case of death of the breadwinner of the eligible beneficiary family.

Introduction

Waseela-e-Sehet is one of the major initiatives of BISP having significance for the country’s Social Protection Programme and the Poverty Alleviation Strategy of the Government of Pakistan. Waseela-e-Sehet comprises of Health Insurance and Group Life Insurance Program providing the extreme and chronic underprivileged with basic income support measures, to access the health care to cope with a variety of health shocks and insuring the breadwinner of a family to compensate the dependents (widows/mothers/children) of deceased with Rs. 100,000/- in case of his/her natural or accidental death.

BACKGROUND

More than 70 percent of the people in Pakistan, including many underprivileged, seek better quality health care in the private sector and pay out of pocket. This imposes extra financial burden on the underprivileged, resulting in inequitable access to quality health care and relevant services including emergency services, mother and child health care. To empower this underserved fragment of the nation BISP has launched the Health Insurance Scheme through cashless Benazir Sehet Card through State life Insurance Corporation. Initially in pilot phase, about fifty thousand beneficiary families have been enrolled in District Faisalabad and would be scaled up soon in one District each in all provinces / regions of Pakistan.