New Delhi: A parliamentary committee has really helpful that the age criterion of 70 years and above for Ayushman Vay Vandana Cards should be rationalised to 60 years and above no matter the folks’s socio-financial standing so as to widen the protection of the Ayushman Bharat medical health insurance scheme.
Protecting in view the massive expenditure on important healthcare, the Division-associated Parliamentary Standing Committee on Well being and Household Welfare in its 163rd report offered in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday additionally really helpful revising healthcare protection from the present Rs 5 lakh per household per 12 months to Rs 10 lakh per household per 12 months.
It additionally identified that a number of excessive-finish interventions/procedures and even excessive-finish diagnostics aren’t included in Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
The panel thus really helpful that the variety of packages/procedures lined underneath the Yojana should be reviewed and the contemporary packages/procedures associated to remedy of important sickness with excessive price of remedy and costly excessive-finish investigations/diagnostics like radiological diagnostics (CT, MRI and imaging together with nuclear imaging) be included in AB-PMJAY as an alternative of leaving the identical to be booked as add-on packages.
The committee appreciated that the federal government has just lately expanded the AB-PMJAY to cowl six crore senior residents of age 70 years and above belonging to 4.5 crore households underneath the Vay Vandana scheme, no matter their socio-financial standing.
An quantity to the tune of Rs 1,443 crore has been earmarked for the remedy of senior residents of the age of 70 years and above holding Ayushman Vay Vandana Cards.
“The Committee is of the view that the age standards of 70 years and above for Ayushman Vay Vandana Cards should be rationalised to 60 years and above no matter their socio-financial standing for widening the protection of the scheme within the higher curiosity of frequent lots,” the panel stated in its report.
The committee, nevertheless, identified a persistent pattern of underutilisation of allotted funds, notably within the earlier 12 months in addition to within the present monetary 12 months.
It said that the AB-PMJAY is a pivotal and visionary well being initiative aiming to present monetary safety and healthcare entry to a lot of India’s weak inhabitants.
Whereas the scheme has seen substantial progress when it comes to state participation, card creation and hospital admissions, a number of key areas require consideration like finances utilisation and state participation.
The committee noticed that within the FY 2023-24, Rs 7,200 crore was allotted as finances estimates (BE) 2023-24 which was decreased to Rs 6,800 crore at revised estimates (RE) stage, nevertheless, the precise expenditure was Rs 6,670.47 crore.
In 2024-25, Rs 7,300 crore was made in BE 2024-25 which was revised to Rs 7,605.54 crore at RE 2024-25, nevertheless, the precise expenditure was to the tune of Rs 5,034.03 crore until January 9.
In 2025-26, the improved quantity of Rs 9,406 crore has been allotted as BE 2025-26.
This means potential inefficiencies in fund disbursement or implementation bottlenecks. The committee, due to this fact, really helpful an intensive evaluation of the fund launch mechanisms to states and Union Territories (UTs). This evaluation should deal with figuring out and eliminating bottlenecks that contribute to underutilisation.
The division should implement a system of proactive monitoring of fund utilization by states, coupled with focused assist to tackle any implementation challenges.
Moreover, the committee prompt that the discharge of funds be linked to the efficiency of states when it comes to card creation, hospital admissions and beneficiary suggestions, making certain that funds are directed to areas of biggest want and influence.
Underlining that moreover the big variety of empanelled hospitals and issuance of playing cards, the essential issue for its profitable implementation is public consciousness and really helpful a targeted marketing campaign, excessive-stage engagement with the respective state governments, addressing their particular considerations and highlighting the advantages of the scheme for their populations.
The division should intensify its efforts to improve beneficiary consciousness, notably in rural and underserved areas. This will be achieved by way of focused info, schooling and communication (IEC) campaigns, utilising native languages and group-based mostly approaches.
Leveraging ASHA and Anganwadi staff, in addition to digital platforms, to disseminate info and facilitate card creation is essential.
A devoted helpline and simply accessible grievance redressal mechanism should additionally be established to tackle beneficiary considerations promptly.
The committee additionally highlighted cases of delay within the settlement of claims of empanelled hospitals underneath AB-PMJAY and that the bundle charges haven’t been fairly revised in lots of states ensuing into inconvenience brought on to the sufferers due to denial of remedy by many empanelled hospitals.
The committee thus said that states and UTs which haven’t revised the bundle charges might be persuaded by the division to revise the bundle charges on the same strains of charges revised by a number of the states in 2022.
As well as, the committee really helpful that the ministry evaluation and streamline the method associated to the settlement of claims submitted by the empanelled hospitals throughout the specified time.
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