Rajasthan, Maharashtra fully support Ayushman Bharat, looking at convergence with ongoing state programmes: Health Ministry

The Union Health Ministry said today that Rajasthan and Maharashtra were looking at ways to converge their ongoing health sector programmes with the Centre's Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Scheme (AB-NHPM) to avoid any disruption.

Following media reports that Rajasthan and Maharashtra are reluctant to join the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the Health Ministry said both the states have fully supported the scheme.

"Both states have strong health insurance schemes which are currently operational and cover more people than proposed to be covered under Ayushman Bharat," the Health Ministry said in a statement.

Maharashtra has been implementing Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPAY) since 2012 covering about 2.24 crore families, providing a benefit cover of Rs 1.5 lakh per family per annum. The Ayushman Bharat proposes to cover 84 lakh families in the state.

Rajasthan has been implementing Bhamashah Health Insurance Scheme since 2015 covering about 92 lakh families. It has provision of Rs 30,000 annual grant for common diseases and Rs 3 lakh for critical illness. The proposed coverage under Ayushman Bharat is 60 lakhs in the state.

"They are currently reviewing the financial and operational implications of the convergence with Ayushman Bharat to avoid any disruption of services, and ensure that the convergence can be done efficiently and current legal contracts can be honoured.

"Any modification of benefit packages would also require negotiations with them. Both states will join Ayushman Bharat as soon as these issues are resolved," the statement added.

Through the Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Scheme, the central government aims to provide a coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family annually to more than 10 crore poor households.