The Ayushman Bharat Scheme, launched by the Central government, aims to ensure timely and free treatment for those in need. Currently serving regular employees, pensioners, and their dependents can avail medical facilities at any private hospitals empaneled with the Haryana government. According to National Health Authority guidelines, treatment is provided to beneficiaries as per the Health Benefit Package Master. In a bid to enhance health facilities and the benefits of the scheme, the Haryana government recently expanded the scope of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, providing free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh. The government offers free treatment to patients nationwide under the Ayushman Bharat and Chirayu Yojana schemes. In Haryana, over six hundred and fifty private hospitals have been empaneled, allowing eligible individuals to receive free treatment.
Notably, districts with the highest number of empaneled government hospitals in Haryana are Hisar, Panipat, Karnal, Sirsa, and Ambala. Hisar leads with 77 private hospitals empaneled under the scheme. Additionally, Panipat, Sirsa, Karnal, and Ambala have 54, 52, 52, and 43 empaneled private hospitals respectively. Bhiwani has 31, Dadri 21, Faridabad 20, Fatehabad 19, Gurugram 27, Jhajjar 28, Jind 18, Kaithal 16, Karnal 45, Kurukshetra 32, Mahendragarh 26, Mewat 2, Palwal 12, Panchkula 13, Rewari 22, Rohtak 36, Sirsa 52, Sonipat 35, and Yamunanagar 35 empaneled private hospitals where beneficiaries can receive treatment.
It’s important to note the acute shortage of health facilities in the Mewat area, necessitating additional arrangements by the state government. Surprisingly, only 14 private health institutions in Mewat and Palwal are empaneled under the scheme despite the greater need for health services. Over one crore Ayushman-Chirayu cards have been issued in Haryana, including 75 lakh Ayushman cards. Presently known as Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, the government plans to distribute the scheme through national insurance companies. The scheme incorporates the existing Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme and the National Health Insurance Scheme.
Recently, treatment was halted from March 16 following a call by the Indian Medical Association, preventing patients from accessing the scheme’s benefits. Due to outstanding amounts owed, private hospitals in Haryana had decided not to treat Ayushman cardholders. However, following assurances that outstanding amounts of around 300 crore owed to private hospitals associated with the panel would be paid by April 15, the IMA withdrew its decision.
Under the scheme, benefits of INR 5,00,000 per annum are provided on a family floater basis, meaning it can be utilized by any or all family members. There’s no cap on family size or age of members, and pre-existing diseases are covered from day one. The cover includes all expenses incurred on medical examination, inpatient treatment and consultation, day care procedures, pre-hospitalization up to 3 days, medicines and medical consumables, non-intensive and intensive care services, diagnostic and laboratory investigations, medical implantation services, food services, complications arising during treatment, and post-hospitalization follow-up care up to 15 days. The benefits are portable across the country.
For hospitalization expenses, package rates include all treatment costs such as registration charges, bed charges, nursing and boarding charges, surgeon and anesthetist fees, anesthesia, blood transfusion, oxygen, OT charges, cost of surgical appliances, medicines and drugs, and the cost of prosthetic devices and implants. Pathology and radiology tests are also covered, with high-end options available as separate add-ons if required. Surgical packages are all-inclusive and do not permit the addition of other diagnostic packages.
