Ayushman Bharat Scheme: Punjab Govt clears 80% of Rs 250 crore dues, private hospitals start admitting patients

Bathinda: Patients can now avail themselves of health insurance coverage under the Ayushman Bharat - Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana (AB-MMSBY) at the private hospitals in Punjab as the latter have started readmitting patients under the scheme after the state government cleared around 80 percent of their pending dues.  

More than a year ago, the private hospitals in Punjab empanelled with the scheme stopped admitting patients due to the non-payment of the pending dues by the state government.

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The insurance company was reportedly suffering from severe losses due to the huge claims made by the hospital as the state government had not been clearing any claims of the private hospitals under this health cover.

In December 2021, the SBI General Insurance Company stated that they would not be able to continue the scheme as the private hospitals made huge claims. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) subsequently decided that private hospitals would halt the scheme. 

The scheme offers an insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh to nearly 40 lakh beneficiaries at empanelled public and private hospitals. When the scheme was halted, the patients were unable to receive treatment under the scheme and had to pay money from their pockets instead. 

Speaking to the Tribune India, Indian Medical Association, Punjab vice-president, Dr Vikas Chhabra, said, "Private hospitals have started the scheme after the government cleared 80 percent of the total Rs 250 crore outstanding amount. It also assured them that the remaining 20 percent would also be paid soon. After that, a majority of the empanelled hospitals have started the scheme and the remaining will start it soon." 

Around 700 hospitals in Punjab registered for the scheme in 2019 for nearly 40 lakh families. Since the government was unable to clear the claims, the state health agency had mailed the hospitals that the insurance company which was given the contract would not be able to continue with its services. 

The flagship State Health Insurance Scheme, Ayushman Bharat - Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana (AB-MMSBY) was launched in 2019 for beneficiaries in Punjab, which provides cashless health insurance cover of Rs. 5 Lakh per family per year. The treatment dues would be covered by the centre and state government under this. 

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