Delhi agrees to Ayushman Bharat, to sign MoU soon

The Delhi government has decided to participate in the Centre’s health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM), and is likely to sign an agreement to this effect next week.
The decision follows months of uncertainty over whether the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government, which has been at loggerheads with the Centre over powers of governance, would implement the scheme as it had asked the Centre to extend funding to even those people who were not eligible as per the Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC).

“Delhi told us (on Friday) that it wants to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on June 29,” said Indu Bhushan, CEO, AB-NHPM.

Upon implementation, the scheme is expected to provide Rs 5 lakh health cover each to around six lakh families in Delhi, a senior official told ET on condition of anonymity. Delhi currently does not have any health insurance scheme.

“Presently, Delhi will go with SECC data...subsequently, it may take a decision on how to cover more number of people holding food security (ration) cards,” the official said.

Delhi is also planning to increase by 10-15% the reimbursement rates to hospitals for certain treatment packages such as caesarean deliveries in order to make it easier to get more hospitals for empanelment, the official said.

“In Delhi, it may be difficult to find hospitals which may take up (empanelment at these rates),” the official said.

Delhi gave an in-principle approval on Thursday but expressed concerns over using SECC to identify beneficiaries, as this would mean that less than 25% of the population would be covered under the insurance scheme, the official said.

The Kejriwal government instead asked the Centre to use food security ration card data to identify beneficiaries, which would lead to coverage for an estimated 16 lakh families in Delhi, said the official.

However, the Centre clarified that it would provide funding only for those beneficiaries identified using SECC while Delhi could take up the funding for additional beneficiaries.

In a separate development, the Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday signed an MoU to implement AB-NHPM in alliance with its existing health protection scheme, becoming the first south Indian and major non-BJP governed state to do so.