The chances of implementation of the Ayushman Bharat (Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana) scheme in the State got a fillip after a discussion between Ayushman Bharat CEO Indu Bhushan and State Government officials at the State Secretariat here on Tuesday.
“We had a preliminary discussion about the Ayushman Bharat scheme and State Government’s Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY).
The discussions are in initial stage. We can reach at a conclusive point after two to three rounds of discussion,” said Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi.
Bhusan praised the BSKY and said modalities are being chalked out to merge the Ayushman Bharat with the BSKY.
“Odisha already has a very good and strong scheme.
Our challenge is how to converge Ayushman Bharat with the existing scheme in the State,” he said.
“We need to find out how to share the expenses in the public hospitals because the State is providing free services to everyone without distinguishing peoplebased on their incomestatus. We have to see how we share that expense and work out a formula which is transparent and in line with the Cabinet decision of the Ayushman Bharat,” he added.
Notably, Ayushman Bharat provides an insurance cover up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation. Poor and vulnerable families across the country, identified as deprived rural families and occupational categories of urban workers’ families as per the latest Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data are eligible to avail benefits under the scheme.
On the other hand, BSKY provides free health services for all irrespective of income, status or residence in all State Government healthcare facilities up to District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) level.
For additional facility of free healthcare beyond DHH level, over 70 lakh economically vulnerable families in the State are provided annual health coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family and Rs 7 lakh for the women members of the family.
The Odisha Government had earlier decided not to implement the Ayushman Bharat saying that the BSKY was a better scheme.