Ayushman Bharat: Almost one year on, states and centre still not in sync

As a part of the agenda, all state-run schemes are required to merge into Ayushman Bharat

As Ayushman Bharat nears completion of its first year, the team implementing the scheme is planning to streamline it during its second year. 

Even though the IT platform of Ayushman Bharat is up and running, the bottlenecks are at the state level. 

Also, as part of the agenda, all state-run schemes are required to amalgamated into Ayushman Bharat.

Many states like Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, among others, continue to run their schemes as well the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat parallelly. 

Those at the Centre feel that states do not want to let go of older schemes. One of the reasons for states to not merge their schemes with Ayushman Bharat is because the state plans connect with the masses.

The Centre is also planning to work its way around states that have not signed up for Ayushman Bharat. A senior government official said, “We are planning to ask states that have subscribed to the scheme to directly empanel hospitals in other states that have not signed up (for Ayushman Bharat) so that patients of the home state do not suffer. For example, Assam can empanel hospitals in West Bengal. Patients from Assam, if sufficient infrastructure is not available, can go to a hospital in West Bengal to get treatment.” The Ayushman Bharat team has also started empanelling hospitals in West Bengal and Odisha.

Another goal of the national health agency and state health agencies running the central scheme is to market it and tell the people about its benefits. 

In states like Tamil Nadu, it seems there is 40 per cent awareness of the national scheme. Most patients who avail this scheme are from other states.

An official coordinating the scheme at the state level said, “Labourers from Assam, who come to Tamil Nadu for work, use this scheme. We get calls from neighbouring Telangana and Andhra for the scheme.” 

Those belonging to Tamil Nadu use the chief minister’s health scheme and other healthcare products provided by the state government.

Another thing on the Centre’s agenda is to make Ayushman Bharat protocols for empanelment, payment and treatment the standard for other government health schemes like CGHS, said a senior official. 

The Centre rolled out Ayushman Bharat last September. The intention was to provide health care upto Rs 500,000 to those who feature in the socio-economic caste census (SECC) data.

Meanwhile, medical device manufacturers have asked the government to consider special sops for them. 

The Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII’s) medical technology head Himanshu Baid told the press that the chamber has asked the government to consider separating the device price and treatment price under the scheme. This will ensure quality products are available under the health plan.