Odisha set to enroll in Ayushman Bharat Scheme

Odisha: In a significant move aimed at enhancing healthcare access for its residents, Odisha is preparing to join the Ayushman Bharat health coverage scheme. The state's participation in this scheme marks a crucial step toward improving the quality and affordability of healthcare services, especially for economically disadvantaged populations.

Ayushman Bharat, launched by the Government of India, aims to provide health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalization. This scheme is designed to benefit approximately 10 crore families across the country, offering financial protection against high medical expenses.

A senior Health Ministry official confirmed on Monday (September 23, 2024) that some technical issues are being ironed out with the State before its implementation.

According to The Hindu, the official said, “Odisha is running its own health scheme which will now run alongside this Central scheme. Under the scheme, the Centre and State share the financial burden and States like Punjab, which haven’t posted their audit report from 2019-2020 onwards are also being engaged with. Bihar has joined recently, and we are seeing many enrolments from the State.”

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The health initiative has seen remarkable progress, with a total of 29,648 hospitals empanelled as of September 1, 2024. This includes 12,696 private hospitals across 33 states and union territories, excluding Delhi, Odisha, and West Bengal.

A release issued by the Health Ministry stated that forty-nine per cent of Ayushman cards are issued to women, and out of 7.79 crore hospital admissions, approximately 3.61 crore are utilized by women. It also noted that under public-private utilization, 57% is within public healthcare, with utilized specialities including cancer, nephrology, cardiology, general medicine, and gastroenterology, among others.

The Ayushman Bharat scheme offers cashless inpatient services across empanelled hospitals nationwide, eliminating restrictions on family size, age, or gender. Importantly, all pre-existing conditions are covered from day one, ensuring comprehensive support for beneficiaries. The program includes coverage for 1,949 medical procedures across 27 specialities, offering a wide range of healthcare options.

The release stated that hospital services include care for up to 15 days post-discharge, diagnostics up to three days prior to admission, and provisions for food and lodging. The entire process is supported by a robust IT platform, ensuring that services are both paperless and cashless.

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