Ayushman Bharat Yojana is an endeavor by the Indian government to shift from sectoral and fractional delivery of health care services to all-inclusive healthcare services. It is a National Health Protection Scheme which will provide health insurance coverage worth Rs. 5 lakh to each of the selected 10 crore poor families (called beneficiaries) every year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization. There are about 1,354 medical packages included in the scheme by the health ministry. These packages include surgical procedures and medical treatments involving expenses relating to medicines, transport, and diagnostics. The scheme is an amalgamation of the two central government schemes – Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme (SCHIS) and Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY).
AB-NHPM is a widespread initiative which will help in building a New India 2022. The implementation of this scheme will be carried out at an exceptional scale and will bring a paradigm transformation in the health sector of India.
Objectives of Ayushman Bharat Mission (AB-NHPM) :-
1. Setting up of health and wellness centers all over India to provide extensive primary medical services to the poor, vulnerable families.
2. Granting health insurance coverage to about 40 percent of the population deprived of basic healthcare services.
Components of Ayushman Bharat – National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) :-
1. Setting up of 1.5 lakh ‘Health and Wellness Centres’ all over the country in order to bring basic healthcare facilities within the reach of the people. These centers will provide Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC) which include child care, maternal care, treating of non-communicable diseases, free medications, and diagnostic facilities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the first health and wellness center on April 14 this year in Bijapur.
2. National Health Protection Mission (NHPM) is a health insurance coverage to be given to poor and deprived families. The above-mentioned health and wellness centers will help in spreading the awareness about the Ayushman Bharat.
Main benefits of Ayushman Bharat Scheme–
- Health cover of Rs. 5 lakhs to each family for secondary and tertiary care procedures.
- No restriction on the size of the family, the age of the beneficiaries, or their gender.
- Priority is given to girl child, women, and senior citizens.
- All the members of the eligible families present in the database of SECC are necessarily covered.
- The medical treatment given to the eligible families is free of cost.
- Empanelled hospitals cannot ask for extra money for the treatment from the beneficiaries.
- Paperless and cashless availability of health care services to the beneficiaries.
- Good amount of medical packages available to the beneficiaries which include surgery, medicine and diagnostics cost, and other treatments.
- Eligible candidates can avail the services of this scheme all over India
Benefits to the health system :-
- The scheme ensures the availability of good quality secondary and tertiary care services through empanelled private and public hospitals to the members of the poor and vulnerable families free of cost.
- It improves the health of the citizens of India, thereby strengthening the health sector of India.
- Aligns the development of the private sector with the public sector health goals and Improved patient satisfaction.
- Helps in the setting up of fresh health framework in the rural and remote areas.
- Enhances the quality of life of the poor and deprived population.
- The scheme improves the efficiency and productivity of the population.
