Chandigarh- To ensure free treatment of up to Rs 10 lakh to every family, the state government is considering fixing rates for specific diseases and operations with private hospitals. Top officials of the health department and the government believe that if the rates for diseases are not fixed, private hospitals will charge arbitrary bills. Doing so can derail the government's important health insurance schemes.
The state government wants to implement this scheme in December at all costs, although earlier the government had decided to implement the scheme on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on October 2, but the scheme could not be implemented due to technical reasons. Before the announcement of the Tarn Taran Vidhan Sabha by-election, the government had started registration in Tarn Taran and Barnala districts. Sources say that the departmental action has been completed with four companies, including four major insurance companies of the country, New India and Oriental. Senior officials of the health department believe that the inclusion of government insurance companies will put a stop to the payment of fake bills.
Sources say that the department often receives reports that private companies related to the insurance sector, in collaboration with private hospitals, prepare duplicate bills and defraud the government exchequer. Although the patient does not suffer any harm by paying the bill, the government exchequer suffers. This is why the government has decided to include government insurance companies and fix rates for the treatment of specific diseases. Senior officials of the health department have confirmed this.
Currently, treatment up to five lakh rupees is provided free of cost under the Mukhyamantri Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana, but the government had approved a plan to provide free treatment of up to ten lakh rupees to the family in the July cabinet meeting. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema claims that the government has provided a budget of Rs 1100 crore for this scheme.
It is said here that with the implementation of Ayushman Health Insurance Scheme in the country, about 16.5 lakh people of the state were included in the scheme, but the then Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh also included farmers, small businessmen, shopkeepers, journalists and others in this scheme and the scheme was named Mukhyamantri Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana.
Under the scheme, 60 percent of the funds are paid by the Central Government and 40 percent by the State Government. Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh has already said that the scheme will be implemented by December, but now it remains to be seen when the people will start getting the benefits of this important scheme of the government.