Tamil Nadu to launch health insurance for elderly, new public health act

Tamil Nadu Health Minister K G Arunraj announced on Monday a new health insurance scheme for senior citizens and a plan to replace the 1939 Public Health Act. The Chief Minister's Elderly Insurance Scheme will cover nearly 38 lakh people aged 70 and above, with no income limit, and includes cancer care, advanced cardiac surgeries, and organ transplants at empanelled hospitals.

The minister made 115 announcements for the Health Department with an estimated outlay of Rs 2,997 crore, The Hindu reports. These include the 'Nalam 360' scheme providing free annual health check-ups with 14 basic tests for all citizens aged 30 and above, the establishment of TN MediCity with an initial Rs 10 crore for a detailed project report, and a Rs 26.87 crore Integrated Mental Health Plan across 12 districts. The government will also create 2,500 permanent nursing posts and 284 super-specialty positions.

A new Tamil Nadu Public Health Act will replace the 1939 version, introducing a provision making unsupervised home births a punishable offence, Hindustan Times reports. A 'Positive Health Policy' and the 'Nalam 360' mobile application will also be launched. The announcements cover policy reforms, infrastructure projects, and digital health initiatives for 2026-2027.