650 private hospitals in Haryana to withdraw from Ayushman Bharat scheme over unpaid dues
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In a massive blow to beneficiaries of the Ayushman Bharat health scheme, around 650 private hospitals across Haryana are set to stop providing treatment under the programme from August 7, unless the government clears outstanding reimbursements amounting to ₹500 crore, the Indian Medical Association 's Haryana unit warned on Tuesday.Calling the situation a 'chronic breakdown' of the scheme's administration in the state, the IMA said hospitals have received only 10–15% of their billed amounts since March. The mounting dues have left many facilities cash-strapped, with some already turning away patients or dipping into internal reserves to stay afloat.'The situation is worse than before. Hospitals cannot continue offering free treatment under the scheme without timely reimbursements. We're now at a point where running the system is financially impossible,' said Dr Mahavir Jain, president of IMA (Haryana).Despite repeated appeals, the Joint CEO for Ayushman Bharat in Haryana, Ankita Adhikari, did not respond to requests for comment till Tuesday evening.Hospitals in Gurgaon — including Park Hospital, Centre for Sight, Pushpanjali Hospital, Muskaan Dentals, and Kamla Hospital — are among those planning to suspend services. A doctor at one of the facilities confirmed: 'We will stop new admissions under Ayushman Bharat from Aug 7. Emergency services will continue, but planned procedures will be on hold.'The Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), launched by the Centre in 2018, aims to provide cashless health coverage of up to ₹5 lakh annually to economically vulnerable families. However, delays in processing claims and disbursing payments have increasingly strained its implementation.The IMA had issued a similar warning earlier in January, but withdrew after government assurances. This time, doctors say they've reached a breaking point.Patients relying on the scheme fear the impact will be devastating.'This scheme saved my life during the Covid-19 pandemic, but now I am not sure if I'll get treatment when I need it,' said Kamlesh Singh, a 41-year-old driver in Gurgaon who is awaiting surgery for an ear infection.Unless the state administration intervenes swiftly, the withdrawal of private hospitals could severely limit access to critical healthcare for thousands of low-income patients across Haryana.
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