Ayushman Bharat? Is it helping?
The Ayushman Bharat Yojana or the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana is an insurance scheme devised by the government to cover all citizens aged 70 and above – socio-economic stratum no bar.
This insurance scheme offers Rs. 5 Lakhs a year to cover treatment, medication, diagnosis and pre-hospitalisation expenses.
Contributions to this scheme were originally fixed at 60:40 i.e. 60% of the cost would be funded by the central government and 40% by the state governments.
Recent central government action of seeking a report and the National Human Rights Commission’s notice to various state governments on senior citizens not benefitting from the welfare scheme which amounts to a violation of their human rights indicates that the Ayushman Bharat Yojana is ill and needs immediate medical attention.
It has been reported that this health insurance scheme has not yet been implemented in some states due to disagreements between the state and central governments and hence cover for treatment costs of the needy and the elderly citizens is unavailable with no notice of it which has resulted in much suffering.
One such case is that of a 72 year old retired government employee diagnosed with gastric cancer who was denied treatment at a government run Institute of Oncology. This senior citizen, financially drained and fearful of high costs, chose to die by suicide!
Confusion all over:
- Hospitals say that the government has not yet issued instructions on the use of the Ayushman health card.
- Various state governments say that they are expected to pay 75% of the costs (not 40% as stated earlier)
Caught between the center and state governments are the ill and the unwell who continue to suffer. If the Ayushman Bharat scheme actually have any ayush remains to be seen.
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