The Cabinet has approved an expanded version of the Suraksha student insurance scheme, adding cover for hearing aid repairs, chronic illness medication and a wider set of diagnostic screenings.
The proposal was submitted by the Prime Minister in her capacity as Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education. Cabinet spokesperson Minister Dr Nalinda Jayatissa set out the details at the media briefing on Cabinet decisions, held at the Department of Government Information.
The scheme covers students in government schools, government-approved private schools, pirivenas and assisted special education schools.
What the new cover includes
- Hearing aid repairs — the cost of repairing hearing accessories and related service charges
- Rs. 20,000 for students on long-term medication for Chronic Kidney Disease and Chronic Inflammatory Arthritis
- Rs. 20,000 for specialised diagnostic screening, including skin cancer, Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder (PTLD), Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV
Newswire, reproducing the Cabinet release at greater length, adds two further changes: critical illness cover is reclassified to encompass “Cancer Treatment and related Testing”, extending to PET scans and to major neurosurgery required after emergency accidents; and an emergency benefit of Rs. 100,000 is payable in the event of accidental death during a school-organised activity such as a sports meet or an educational trip, whether held on school grounds or off them.
The agreement between the Ministry and Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation General Limited runs from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027, according to Newswire.
Two discrepancies in the published accounts
The two filings do not agree on two points, and neither is resolvable from the other:
- The hearing aid ceiling. NewsFirst reports up to Rs. 70,000; Newswire reports up to Rs. 75,000.
- One condition on the screening list. NewsFirst lists osteopetrosis, a rare disorder in which bone becomes abnormally dense. Newswire lists osteoporosis, the common loss of bone density. These are different conditions. Newswire’s wording matches the Education Ministry circular this desk reported in September, which also named osteoporosis.
NewsFirst also describes the scheme as being implemented “next year”, while the agreement period given by Newswire began on 1 September 2026 — that is, the operational year is already under way.
Ada Derana filed on the same Cabinet decision (item 250251) but has been unreachable from this desk for 33 consecutive days behind a CloudFront block, so its figures could not be checked against the other two.
Not reported
Neither filing gives the premium, the total cost to the state, or the number of students covered. Neither says how a claim is made, whether the Rs. 20,000 ceilings are annual or per episode, or what happens to the benefits added by the September circular that do not appear on this list.
