NHA plans to remove unspecified packages from healthcare list

New Delhi [India], Sept 16 (ANI): The National Health Authority (NHA), the implementing body of Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), has planned to remove the numbers of unspecified packages from its current list of healthcare packages.

As of now, there are about 1392 medical packages of different specialities, out of which few are listed as 'unspecified packages' which are having a different course of treatment.

"The unspecified packages are like a black signed cheque which gives liberty to the hospital and insurance company to fill the amount whatever they want. Now, NHA would like to reduce the number of these black cheques," a senior official at NHA, under the condition of anonymity told ANI.

"This will reduce the number of package count but it will increase the number of treatment," said the official.

Last year, on September 23, the Central government launched Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (AB-PMJAY).

Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY is a National Health Protection Scheme, which covers over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries) providing coverage up to 5 lakh rupees per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.

On Thursday, ANI had reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to launch an updated version of mobile application of AB- PMJAY on October 1 to highlight the progress and achievements of the scheme in the past one year.