Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally launch the world’s largest public health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (AB-PMJAY) in Ranchi on Sunday. The cashless scheme, which offers an annual cover of Rs 5 lakh to economically weaker section of society will be launched at the Prabhat Tara ground, and is expected to benefit 5.7 million families in the state alone. The PM will also inaugurate 10 wellness centres, as part of the scheme, in Jharkhand. The Ayushman Bharat scheme aims to cover around 550 million people, across the country.
Historic day for India, says PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that today is a historic day for India over the launch of Ayushman Bharat which is scheduled to take place today. “I will be in Ranchi to mark the launch of PMJAY- Ayushman Bharat. During the programme, foundation stones for medical colleges in Chaibasa and Koderma will be laid. Health and wellness centres will also be inaugurated. We are committed to building a healthy and fit India,” he said.
Today is a historic day for India! We are launching the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), which is a big step towards providing good quality and accessible healthcare to the poor of India. Over 10 crore families will benefit from this scheme.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi)September 23, 2018
Insurance scheme to have 1,350 packages to cover treatment
The insurance scheme has 1,350 packages to cover treatment including those for cancer surgeries, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, cardiac surgeries, stenting; neuro (brain) surgeries, spine surgeries, dental surgeries, eye surgeries, specialised tests such as MRI, CT scans etc.
Jharkhand’s first Ayushman Bharat claimant to undergo heart operation
Bachulal Tiwary, 50, would be the first claimant from Jharkhand of the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), to be launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi here in Ranchi this afternoon, health officials said. “Tiwary would undergo heart valve operation at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi, on Sunday evening under the scheme,” said state health secretary Nidhi Khare.
Scheme being launched against background of soaring medical treatment costs
The scheme is being launched against a background of soaring costs of medical treatment in the country with in-patient hospitalisation expenditure rising by 300% over the past decade. Patients spend 80% out of their pocket for their treatment, according to National Sample Survey Office’s (NSSO) figure of 2015.
11 occupational criteria will determine entitlement for urban areas
The entitlement to the scheme is being decided on the basis of deprivation criteria in the SECC database. The beneficiaries are identified based on the deprivation categories identified under the SECC database for rural areas. For the urban areas, the 11 occupational criteria will determine entitlement.
Ayushman Bharat scheme to cover over 50 crore people
The Ayushman Bharat scheme will target poor, deprived rural families and identified occupational category of urban workers’ families, 80.3 million in rural and 23.3 million in urban areas, as per the latest Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data. It will cover around 50 crore people.
Source: HindustanTimes