Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], August 6 : The Indian Medical Association (IMA) in Haryana on Wednesday decided to suspend Ayushman Bharat health services in the state citing non-payment of dues to private hospitals.
In an official statement, the IMA Haryana mentioned that a meeting was held between ACS Sudhir Rajpal and officials of Ayushman Bharat Haryana High Authority. From IMA side, it was attended by President Dr MP Jain, IPP Dr Ajay Mahajan, Elected President Dr Suneela Soni, Secretary Dr Dheer K Soni and Ayushman Committee President Dr Suresh Arora.
The IMA was informed that around Rs 245 crore have been received by the Ayushman Bharat Haryana High Authority, out of which Rs 175 crore is Haryana government's share and Rs 70 crore is the Central government's share as budget for this quarter. However, it was also told that around Rs 490 crore arrears to private hospitals is still pending.
"They have started distributing it on FIFO mode from yesterday (August 5). He (ACS Sudhir Rajpal) informed that at present about Rs 490 crore is due to private hospitals. When we (IMA Haryana) told him that this amount was insufficient, he said that he would place a demand for supplementary budget in the monsoon session of Haryana Vidhan Sabha on August 22. He could not tell how much budget he would ask for or accept," the Haryana IMA said in a statement.
The IMA has also reiterated the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and has demanded interest penalty, however it was said that the interest cannot be paid.
Earlier on August 2, around 650-700 private hospitals in Haryana are set to withdraw from the Ayushman Bharat scheme starting August 7 due to pending dues of over ₹500 crore.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Haryana claimed that despite multiple assurances from government officials, payments continue to be delayed, with some hospitals experiencing delays of up to 4-5 months.
Speaking to ANI, Dr Ashok Mahajan, who was the Former President of Haryana IMA, said, " IMA Haryana does not want to withdraw Ayushman services; it is being forced to! Hospitals have bills running into crores and are unable to pay their doctors, staff and vendors. They are forced to take this step to prevent further losses. They seem to be funding this government scheme; SHA pays late, and deductions are made without any reason."
Over 1.2 crore people in Haryana are enrolled in the scheme, including low-income families and senior citizens. The withdrawal of private hospitals may lead to difficulties in accessing healthcare services, putting additional pressure on government hospitals.
The Haryana government has earlier assured that the process of releasing funds has begun, and they are hopeful of resolving the issue within a week. However, hospitals remain sceptical, citing unfulfilled assurances from previous meetings with government officials.
The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) is a flagship scheme of the government. It provides health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to around 55 crore beneficiaries belonging to 12.37 crore families belonging to the economically weaker 40 per cent population of the country.
The Economic Survey 2024-25 highlights the impact of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) in reducing Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) through increased social security and primary health spending, with recorded savings over Rs. 1.25 lakh crore. The report also states that Government-supported insurance schemes like AB PM-JAY, Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), and state-specific programs contribute 2.63 per cent to healthcare financing and the rise in government health spending has significantly reduced financial hardship for households.