Question : Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM)

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) the details and salient features of the Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) along with the funds allocated/released and the number of persons benefitted under the Mission so far; State/UT/year-wise;

(b) whether the Government plans to rope in private hospitals and Ayushman Mitras for providing quality healthcare under the Scheme, if so, the details thereof including the safeguards adopted to prevent profiteering by private hospitals/agencies;

(c) whether some private hospitals have requested to revise package rates offered under the Mission, if so, the details thereof and steps taken in this regard;

(d) the details of State/UTs that have signed MoUs with the Government for implementation of the Scheme;

(e) whether the health cover under the scheme is not available to AYUSH System of medicine, if so, the details and reasons therefor; and

(f) whether the Government has also taken note of fake websites and mobile applications spreading false information about the Mission, if so, the corrective steps taken in this regard?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)
(a): Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), earlier known as Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission, provides benefit coverage of upto Rs. 5 lakh per annum per family to the identified poor and vulnerable families for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation. Salient features of PMJAY are annexed as Annexure-I.

PMJAY was launched on 23.09.2018 and for the current Financial Year, at the Budget Estimate stage, Rs. 2000/- crore were allocated for it. As on 10.12.2018, Rs. 817.73 crore have been released to States/UTs. The details are attached as Annexure-II. As on 11.12.2018, the total number of hospital admissions were 4,92,073.

(b): As PMJAY is implemented by the respective State Governments, the responsibility of empanelment of hospitals rests with them. Private hospitals are empanelled under PMJAY based on defined criteria and hospital empanelment guidelines.

For the hospitalization services rendered, empanelled hospitals can charge only as per the pre-defined package rates.

Under PMJAY, there is a provision of having Pradhan Mantri Arogya Mitras at the empanelled health care providers. Guidelines have been issued in this regard.

(c): Some private health care providers have requested to increase the package rates. States have the flexibility to decrease the rates, or increase up to 10%, or adopt rates as per the existing State Scheme depending on their suitability.

(d): 33 States/UTs have signed MoUs except Odisha, Telangana & UT of Delhi.

(e): PMJAY is still in its implementation stage and at present its benefit packages do not cover AYUSH System of Medicine.

(f): Yes. Fake entities, (Websites, Mobile Applications, Videos) trying to spread misinformation about PMJAY, are being proactively monitored. So far a list of 68 fake mobile applications and 54 websites on internet spreading false news about PMJAY has been compiled and following steps have been taken:
i. Issue of Public Advisory on the official website to inform citizens about such fake entities.
ii. Sharing the list with the concerned authorities including Chief Information Security Officer of India, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, requesting them to take the necessary action against these entities.
iii. Filed an FIR against such entities.

Consequently, 62 out of 68 Fake Mobile Applications have been closed and 23 out of 54 fake websites have been either blocked or shut down.