IMA Haryana flags Rs 400 crore Ayushman Bharat dues, urges CM intervention
Chandigarh: The Haryana unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has raised concern over persistent delays in payments under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, noting that outstanding dues to empanelled hospitals in the state have exceeded Rs 400 crore.
In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, the association highlighted the gravity of the issue. Although the Finance Department released funds to the Ayushman Bharat-Haryana Health Protection Authority (HHPA) in the first week of November, procedural bottlenecks have prevented the disbursement of the allocated amounts so far. They claim to have cleared the payments up to December, but payments for numerous intermediate cases remain outstanding. Payments under the SECC category have only just begun to be processed.
IMA Haryana president Dr Sunila Soni said, “We were extremely pleased to note that, during the recently concluded Budget Session, you dedicated a special session specifically to this scheme. We express our gratitude to you for considering and addressing the issues related to this scheme, and we commend your efforts toward resolving the challenges currently being faced in its implementation.”
“However, upon reviewing some of the statistics presented, it appears that your officials are misleading you. We refrained from raising this issue earlier because you were occupied with the Budget Session, and we did not wish to cause any disruption to it. We would like to draw your attention to some of the issues currently being faced by the hospitals included in the Ayushman panel,” she further added.
The association pointed out that payments remain significantly delayed, though they are supposed to be processed within 15 days of filing an application; however, payments dating back as far as September 25th are currently still pending. Complaints are raised, yet payments are not released even after these complaints have been resolved. The hospitals claim that, to date, outstanding dues amounting to over Rs. 400 crore remain pending.
Moreover, the association pointed out that the HHPA currently lacks a full-time appointed CEO, a situation that has resulted in a policy-related deadlock. Despite the best efforts of the Link Officer, his hands remain tied due to a lack of authority. Chief Minister himself had approved, in January 2025, the appointment of the President of the IMA Haryana—or his designated representative—as a member of the various panels and grievance committees; however, this directive has not yet been implemented.
Furthermore, meetings of these committees are supposed to be held every month, yet they have not taken place for the past five months. This has adversely impacted the induction of new members into the panels, as well as the approval of new medical specialties. “You have always listened to our concerns and resolved them. We would be deeply grateful if you could extend the same support to resolve these issues pertaining to the Ayushman Scheme,” the letter mentioned. The IMA has urged the chief minister to personally step in and ensure smoother processing of payments, cautioning that continued delays could potentially disrupt services provided under the flagship health insurance programme.
