Fact check: Rajasthan not first in India to offer free health insurance to residents [details]

In a major relief to hundreds and thousands of residents of Rajasthan, the state government started registration for an insurance scheme, which would cover each family with a cover of Rs 5 lakh. Making the announcement, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said Rajasthan became the first state in the country to provide health insurance to all residents.

The claim

Gehlot said the new scheme covers each family of the state to get an annual health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh. Registration for the Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme has commenced, the CM announced in the state budget 2021-22.

"Rajasthan has become the first state in the country, where each family will get health insurance of Rs 5 lakh each year. People can get registered and be assured of cashless treatment," Gehlot tweeted, adding that it is one of the biggest healthcare schemes aimed at providing medical relief to all residents.

The move was applauded nationwide as it enables cashless treatment without having to pay any premium.

Fact check

International Business Times reviewed the claim and there's no doubt about the new health insurance scheme being available to all residents of the state of Rajasthan. But the CM's claim about Rajasthan being the first state to offer free health insurance to residents is inaccurate. As some netizens pointed out, J&K launched the free health insurance scene for its citizens last year and more than 49 lakh citizens have registered under the scheme so far.

In December last year, Jammu and Kashmir's universal health coverage plan was launched by PM Narendra Modi in a virtual event. The scheme called Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) SEHAT was aimed to cover 21 lakh families of the UT, but it has already achieved more than twice that target.