Approximately 1,300 hospitals in Haryana are part of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, including 600 private facilities. However, starting February 3, 600 private hospitals in the state plan to suspend services under the scheme due to unpaid reimbursements totalling Rs 400 crore.
The Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) Haryana unit announced the decision on 26th Jan, citing financial strain on hospitals caused by delayed payments from the state government.
Ayushman Bharat aims to provide free healthcare coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family annually. Around 1.2 crore people in Haryana are registered under the scheme, which covers treatments ranging from basic tests to surgeries for families with annual incomes below Rs 2.5 lakh and other eligible groups such as the elderly.
According to IMA, the delayed payments are severely affecting hospital operations. “Payments must be released immediately as managing hospital expenses without funds is becoming unsustainable. Around Rs 400 crore in pending reimbursements has left hospitals struggling to survive. These bills are already discounted. Without funds, hospitals can’t continue,” said Dr. Jain, an IMA official.
IMA also highlighted that private hospitals in the state have received only 10-15% of the reimbursement claims they raised. Normally, hospitals submit reimbursement requests through an online portal after treating Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries. These requests are processed by the state government, which then reimburses the hospitals.
Despite assurances from Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini during a meeting earlier this month to release funds, hospitals have received only a small fraction of the pending payments, with significant deductions, said Dhirendar K. Soni, secretary of IMA Haryana.
In response, Ankita Adhikari, joint CEO of Ayushman Bharat (Haryana), told Media that her team was unaware of the planned service suspension. She mentioned that efforts to release funds were underway and expressed optimism that the issue would be resolved within a week, avoiding the need for drastic actions.
In Gurgaon alone, 60 hospitals are empaneled under the scheme, including Park Hospital, Centre for Sight, Pushpanjali Hospital, Muskaan Dentals, and Kamla Hospital. Dr. Jyoti Yadav of Kamla Hospital confirmed their support for the IMA’s decision, noting that the hospital, which treats one or two Ayushman Bharat patients daily, would suspend eye surgeries and other treatments under the scheme if payments remain unresolved.
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