The stretch principle

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh announced a scheme to provide health insurance to everyone living in the state via a smart card for free medical care up to Rs 30,000. At a press conference announcing this, the chief minister was asked whether the sum assured would be valid for only the head of the family or the whole family. Singh looked up, smiled broadly and indicated that it covered the family. When, however, he was asked how the state government would manage the additional revenues to finance this largesse, he looked the other way.