RSBY implementation in West Bengal: A case study

Abstract

This paper analyses Rashtriya Swastha Bima Yojna (RSBY) implementation in West Bengal and attempts to understand issues affecting service delivery and the impact of use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the implementation process. The data was collected through fieldwork conducted from December 2010 to March 2011 in Bardhaman, one of the prosperous districts of the state. Through participant observation and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders like district officials, nursing home owners, and the representatives of third party administrators appointed by medical insurance companies, this paper shows that RSBY has succeeded in providing healthcare support to a large number of poor people. However, its implementation is plagued by absence of political will, widespread ignorance, weakness in monitoring and supervision, and opportunistic behaviour of nursing home owners. We also find that while the use of ICT has failed to eliminate the delay in claim settlements, it has had profound impact on prevailing power relations between doctors and nursing homes. © Serials Publications.