In which year was the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) introduced?

AIIMS Patna NO - 2020

Community Health Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: AIIMS Patna NO - 2020

Explanation

The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) was officially launched in 2008.
It was initiated by the Ministry of Labour and Employment to provide health insurance protection to Below Poverty Line (BPL) households.
The scheme aimed to reduce out-of-pocket expenditure on health for the poor and unorganized sector.
It was later transferred to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in 2015 before being subsumed by Ayushman Bharat in 2018.

Option A: 2006 is incorrect. Significant health initiatives in 2006 included the nationwide coverage of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) and the launch of the Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness (IMNCI) strategy.
Option C: 2007 is incorrect. Key health sector events in 2007 were the launch of the 11th Five Year Plan and the third phase of the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP-III).
Option D: 2005 is incorrect. This was a landmark year for the launch of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), both aimed at strengthening rural healthcare infrastructure and reducing maternal and infant mortality.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Launch year of Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Community Health Nurses must be knowledgeable about government health schemes like RSBY and its successor, PM-JAY, to effectively educate communities about their entitlements.
Awareness of these schemes allows nurses to guide eligible families on how to enroll and access cashless healthcare services, thereby reducing financial barriers to treatment.
What if? - If a nurse is working in a rural area and encounters a BPL family unaware of their health insurance benefits, knowing about PM-JAY (which subsumed RSBY) allows the nurse to connect them with an ASHA worker or direct them to the nearest enrollment center, ensuring they get the necessary health coverage.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core of the question, which is asking for the launch year of a specific government scheme: Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY).
This is a factual recall question common in Community Health Nursing.
Recall the timeline of major health policies in India. Try to associate schemes with specific periods or Five-Year Plans.
Evaluate the given options. 2005 is famous for the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
Recognize that RSBY was a major health insurance initiative launched before the current Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Select the year 2008, which correctly corresponds to the launch of RSBY.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-232 of 464) p. 139-141

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart B (pp 233-449 of 464) p. 200-202