IMA Haryana warns 600 private hospitals to exit Ayushman Bharat over pending dues
Ayushman Bharat Yojana
Chandigarh: The Indian Medical Association (IMA), Haryana chapter, has expressed serious concerns over the implementation and operational aspects of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), even as the central government recently revealed that over Rs 1.40 lakh crore has been spent under the scheme so far.
In a letter, IMA Haryana warned that 600 private hospitals across the state will stop treating patients under the Ayushman Bharat scheme starting 7th August 2025, unless all pending payments up to 15th July 2025 are cleared and previously made assurances are fulfilled.
Responding to a query in the Rajya Sabha, Union Health Minister Prataprao Jadhav informed that more than 9.84 crore hospital admissions have been facilitated under the scheme. He further stated that in January 2022, the Government of India revised the beneficiary base of the scheme from 10.74 crore to 12 crore families, covering the bottom 40% of India’s population.
Further, in March 2024, the eligibility criteria were expanded to include 37 lakh Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs), and their families. Recently, the scheme has been further extended to cover 6 crore senior citizens aged 70 years and above, representing 4.5 crore families, through the Vay Vandana Card, irrespective of their socio-economic status. More than 9.84 crore hospital admissions worth over Rs. 1.40 lakh crore has been authorized under the scheme.
However, in a formal communication addressed to the Ayushman Bharat Haryana Project Agency (AB HPA), the IMA has outlined key issues they believe are hindering the scheme’s effectiveness. The association has called for urgent review and corrective measures to ensure the programme delivers its intended benefits without burdening healthcare providers. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that 600 private hospitals across the state decided to cease providing services under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. The decision followed the government's failure to clear pending reimbursements totalling Rs 400 crore.
In a letter, IMA Haryana stated, “Ayushman Bharat Yojana, a prestigious scheme of our Honourable Prime Minister Narender Modi, is facing recurrent problems in Haryana due to the apathy of the Government itself. Time and again, we have been apprising officials of irregular payments, at times delayed by 4-5 months. In our meeting with Honourable Chief Minister Nayab Saini on 8 January 2025, we were assured that all payments will be made in stipulated time of 15 days. We again had a high-level meeting with Honourable CS CPM Haryana Sh Rajesh Khullar ji on 3 February 2025. There again, we were assured that all problems are being solved now, and after 10% March 2025, all things will be fully streamlined.”
The association further added that none of these assurances have been fulfilled. Payments are still much delayed and irregular, unnecessary deductions are still being made, processing of cases is also delayed, grievances are difficult to raise on the portal, and the NABH incentive of many hospitals has been cut under the guise of re-empanelment on the new portal.
