Ayushman Bharat: Cabinet approves new scheme

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday, approved the launch of a new centrally sponsored scheme, the Ayushman Bharat -National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM).

Having a central sector component under Ayushman Bharat Mission anchored in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the scheme has a benefit cover of INR five lakh per family per year.

The target beneficiaries of the proposed scheme will be more than ten crore families belonging to poor and vulnerable population, across all States and Union Territories in all districts, based on Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC) database.

AB-NHPM will subsume the on-going centrally sponsored schemes - Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and the Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme (SCHIC).

In order to ensure that the scheme reaches the intended beneficiaries and other stakeholders, a comprehensive media and outreach strategy will be developed, which will, inter alia, include print media, electronic media, social media platforms, traditional media, IEC materials and outdoor activities.

For the national level management of the scheme, an Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission Agency (AB-NHPMA) would be put in place.

States/ UTs would be advised to implement the scheme by a dedicated entity called State Health Agency (SHA). They can either use an existing Trust/ Society/ Not for Profit Company/ State Nodal Agency (SNA) or set up a new entity to implement the scheme.

The expenditure incurred in premium payments will be shared between Central and State Governments in specified ratio as per Ministry of Finance guidelines in vogue.