Himachal Deputy CM Agnihotri: Himcare to Continue, Ayushman Expansion Will Be Sought

In the meeting, he stated that despite the scheme's initiation under the previous BJP regime, which had significant issues related to reimbursement claims, it will remain in place.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri has announced that there are no plans to discontinue the Himcare Yojna in Himachal Pradesh, though improvements are necessary to address its shortcomings.

The Himcare scheme provides cashless treatment coverage of up to INR 5 Lakh per year per family.

Agnihotri made these remarks while presiding over the inaugural meeting of the cabinet sub-committee formed to address the issues found in the Himcare scheme and the centrally-aided Ayushman Bharat Yojna.

In the meeting, he stated that despite the scheme's initiation under the previous BJP regime, which had significant issues related to reimbursement claims, it will remain in place.

“There is no intention of closing Himcare Yojna in the State and it will continue but the loopholes in the scheme need to be plugged,” Agnihotri said.

Agnihotri also noted instances where medical bills and treatment costs differed, with claimed amounts being excessively high. The committee will further examine all aspects of the scheme to prevent such discrepancies, he added.

Additionally, he highlighted the state's liability of INR 457 Cr, with INR 150 Cr owed to private hospitals and approximately INR 307 Cr to government hospitals.

Regarding the Ayushman Bharat scheme, Agnihotri pointed out that the current cap covers only 5.32 Lakh families, excluding about 14.83 Lakh families from the scheme.

He plans to discuss this issue with Union Health Minister J P Nadda, seeking to remove these restrictions and expand coverage to the entire state population.

Agnihotri mentioned that the state government receives only INR 50 Cr annually from the Center for the Ayushman Bharat scheme. This amount is exhausted within the first six months, leaving the state to bear the excess cost, which is expected to exceed INR 100 Cr by the end of the fiscal year.

The committee also resolved to address the funding issue with the Union Health Ministry.

Days back, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at 19 locations, including the premises of Himachal Pradesh Congress MLA RS Bali and a close associate of the state's CM, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

The investigation is related to the alleged creation of fake Ayushman Bharat ID cards and violations of the scheme by various hospitals, according to officials.

The searches took place in Delhi, Chandigarh, Punjab, and several districts in Himachal Pradesh, including Kangra, Una, Shimla, Mandi, and Kullu.