North India Statesman
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Private hospitals say that due to low rates and delays in payment under the scheme, it is becoming difficult for them to do operations. Many hospitals have claimed that they are unable to get funds due to the state governments not issuing funds on time, due to which they are unable to continue participating in the plan. For example, hundreds of private hospitals under the Haryana branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) announced in February that they would stop serving under the scheme, as they owe more than Rs 400 crore to be paid. After this, private hospitals and nursing home associations in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir also raised a similar demand.
Some treatment packages in states like Chhattisgarh and Gujarat are reserved only for government hospitals and private hospitals are also coming out of government hospitals due to lack of referrals. Minister Jadhav said that the National Health Authority (NHA) has issued instructions for the state hospitals to pay claims within 15 days and for hospitals outside the state within 30 days.
The purpose of the scheme and the current status
The Ayushman Bharat Yojana was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 23 September 2018 in Ranchi, Jharkhand. The scheme provides free health insurance up to Rs 5 lakh per year to poor and weaker families. Initially, 107.4 crore poor families were included under the scheme, which according to the 2011 socio-economic and caste census (SECC) were the lowest 40 percent of the population of India. In January 2022, the beneficiary Aadhaar was revised to 55.0 crore persons or 12.34 crore families. In 2024, 37 lakh Asha and Anganwadi workers and their families were included for the benefit of free health services and by the end of the year, 6 crore senior citizens above the age of 70 were also announced to include it.
Government’s response
The government says that it is taking steps to solve this problem. Ankita Adhikari, a joint CEO of Ayushman Bharat in Haryana, said that the process of issuing funds has started and the situation will be handled within a week. The central government has said to take the complaints of private hospitals seriously and review the package rates and to speed up the payment process.
challenges ahead
So far, crores of patients have been benefited from this scheme and Ayushman cards have been issued to about 36 crore people, but going out of private hospitals can threaten its future. Experts believe that if the payment system is not improved, more hospitals can be closed, due to which the poor and needy patients will suffer the most.
