The Centre is planning to shift 112 treatment packages under the Ayushman Bharat scheme exclusively to government hospitals from December 1, 2026, potentially limiting beneficiaries’ access to these services at private empanelled hospitals.
The National Health Authority (NHA) has asked State Health Authorities (SHAs) to reserve 89 additional medical packages for public healthcare facilities, taking the total number of restricted packages to 112, including 23 already reserved. The updated package list will be available on the Transaction Management System (TMS) from December 1. However, states will retain the authority to decide whether to implement the restrictions on private hospitals.
Seven Medical Departments to Be Covered
The revised package list includes day-care procedures, surgeries and treatments across seven departments: general medicine, general surgery, gynaecology, psychiatry, orthopaedics, ENT and ophthalmology.
The treatments proposed to be shifted to government facilities include cataract surgery, hysterectomy, medical termination of pregnancy (MTP), cyst and fistula removal, biopsies and fracture management.
The list also covers conditions such as severe anaemia, alcoholic liver disease, hepatitis, pancreatitis, malaria, chikungunya, acute bronchitis and severe diarrhoea. High-risk deliveries and several mental health services, including treatment for mood disorders, anxiety, ADHD and stress-related conditions, are also included.
States Assess Public Hospital Capacity
The NHA’s move is aimed at strengthening government healthcare facilities and reducing expenditure on treatment packages at private empanelled hospitals.
State authorities are assessing infrastructure, medical staff availability and surgical capabilities to determine whether public hospitals can manage the additional patient load.
In Uttarakhand, where more than 350 government and private hospitals are empanelled under Ayushman Bharat, the State Health Agency has initiated consultations with medical experts and is collecting facility-level data. Dr RS Bisht, Medical Superintendent of Doon Medical College Hospital, said public teaching hospitals are already conducting nearly all the listed procedures and have been asked to submit capacity reports.
Several States Have Already Introduced Restrictions
Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir have already implemented restrictions on selected treatment packages at private hospitals.
Meanwhile, the revised procedure for filing complaints against doctors over improper treatment will require patients to submit grievances through an affidavit of ₹10.
Final Decision Rests with State Authorities
The nationwide transition will depend on individual state decisions following their capacity assessments. State Health Authorities are expected to communicate their positions to the NHA in the coming weeks.
The implementation of the revised package list could significantly change the distribution of Ayushman Bharat patients between public and private healthcare facilities.
