Pending Ayushman Bharat dues hit patients, pvt hosps

Beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) are facing difficulties in availing healthcare services at private hospitals across the state as a staggering ₹2,034.6 crore dues is pending on the government.

- MANOJ KUMAR JENA, OP

After the fall of BJD government in the state, the BJP replaced Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) with AB-PM-JAY in April 2025 which promises health insurance coverage of ₹5 lakh per family per annum. However, beneficiaries under this scheme have started experiencing issues since then. Several patients alleged they are unable to access services at private hospitals that were earlier available under BSKY. Some alleged that they are being asked to pay for treatments which were previously available for free. This compels them to seek treatment elsewhere, thereby increasing their financial burden.

Pramod Kumar Das, a renal cancer patient from the Capital City who is currently undergoing treatment at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, said that treatments such as immunotherapy and chemotherapy were accessible under BSKY but are now unavailable under Ayushman Bharat. “Under Ayushman Bharat, I was sanctioned two therapies, but last month the hospital refused to provide the treatment, saying the government is no longer sanctioning immunotherapy under this (AB-PMJAY) card,” he said.