INDIA NEEDS A HEALING TOUCH

Centre's ambitious Ayushman Bharat healthcare scheme is facing a gap between rules and reality. What are the challenges, and how can they be overcome for the model to set a precedent globally

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NAUGUST, OVER 650 private hospitals in Haryana announced their exit from Ayushman Bharat, the Centre's ambitious public healthcare scheme, reportedly over unpaid dues amounting to about ₹490 crore.

Not just Haryana, hospitals across India participating in the scheme have reported mounting financial strain due to delayed reimbursements from the government arising out of treating Ayushman Bharat patients. As per an estimate by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), unpaid claims amounting to over ₹1 lakh crore are pending across public and private medical facilities.

Moreover, several hospitals across the country are awaiting empanelment from the Union health ministry to become part of the Ayushman Bharat network, a waiting even running into months. Healthcare institutions rue that the programme's official package rates are unrealistically low, leading to a gap between the government's claims of widespread reach and ground reality. Where private participation has declined over financial pressures, the burden has shifted to public hospitals—many already stretched thin.

All this at a time when there is uneven public awareness. Even though the scheme is meant to benefit those in the low-income groups, awareness and the nearest empanelled facility are far out of reach.

Touted as the world's largest publicly funded health assurance programme, the Ayushman Bharat—Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) sought to bridge a longstanding gap between India's rich and poor in access to quality medical care. When unveiled in 2018, it was heralded as a transformative leap towards universal healthcare. Seven years later, the initiative seems to be facing a few hiccups.

So, what's ailing the Centre's flagship mega health insurance scheme, also colloquially referred to as Modicare?

Scheme of things