Haryana Pvt Hospitals Halt Ayushman Bharat & Chirayu Scheme Admissions Amid Payment Dispute

The state government has reportedly failed to disburse payments totaling over INR 225 Cr, prompting widespread frustration among healthcare providers.

In a significant disruption to healthcare services, private hospitals across Haryana have stopped admitting patients under the Ayushman Bharat and Chirayu Haryana schemes due to pending payments, as reported by ET.

This led to a protest, spearheaded by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which has affected nearly 700 private hospitals, leaving many patients without the necessary medical care.

The ongoing protest comes as private hospitals in Haryana demand the clearance of overdue payments from the state government. These hospitals are impaneled under the central government's Ayushman Bharat scheme and the state's Chirayu Haryana scheme, which provide cashless treatment to beneficiaries.

The state government has reportedly failed to disburse payments totaling over INR 225 Cr, prompting widespread frustration among healthcare providers.

This cashless medical facility, managed by the Ayushman Bharat Haryana Health Protection Authority, was launched in January for government employees and their dependents.

The scheme ensures cashless procedures with claims approved via a single platform. Beneficiaries can access services at all hospitals impaneled with the Director General of Health Services using e-cards or CCHF cards, payee codes, Aadhaar numbers, or family IDs (Parivar Pehchan Patra).

Commenting on the issue, Dr Ajay Mahajan, the IMA state president, said, "We had a meeting with Sudhir Rajpal, Additional Chief Secretary of Health, who assured us that the pending payments would be cleared by July 15. We will wait for the minutes of the meeting and decide our next steps accordingly. Treatment will resume once we receive confirmation."

Patients in Limbo

The service halt has left numerous patients, particularly those relying on the Ayushman Bharat and Chirayu Haryana schemes, in a precarious situation.

Shamser Singh, a resident of Chhatar village, expressed his dismay after being denied a scheduled back surgery at a private hospital due to payment issues. "The government and private hospitals need to resolve this, but patients should not suffer. We don't know where to go now," he lamented.

The Chirayu Haryana scheme covers nearly 74.33 Lakh beneficiaries, while the Ayushman Bharat scheme extends coverage to about 28.89 Lakh people in the state.

Under these schemes, families are entitled to annual health coverage of up to INR 5 Lakh for secondary and tertiary care hospitalizations. The suspension of services has thus impacted a large number of people who depend on these schemes for affordable healthcare.

In response, Dr Gopal Goyal, chief medical officer, assured that government hospitals are stepping up to provide care to patients denied treatment at private facilities. "We have asked our teams to expedite the treatment process for these patients as required," he stated.

The stand-off has cast uncertainty over the future of healthcare for many in Haryana. While the IMA and private hospitals await the government's action on pending payments, patients are left navigating the challenges of accessing essential medical services.