THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the Centre planning to roll out its flagship Ayushman Bharat -National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) programme on September 25, the State Health Department has found itself to be in a fix. The indecision is over signing the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Centre as the department says ‘there were some aspects which need to be sorted out with the National Health Agency.’
It is learnt the department is waiting for the report of a six-member committee, which is working out the procedures and cost to be covered under AB-NHPM. “The state will sign the MoU with the Centre. But there are certain aspects which need clarification,” Rajeev Sadanandan, Health Secretary, told Express. “We are waiting for the same. With the report of the committee also in the pipeline, a final decision will be taken soon,” he said.
However, D Narayana, director, Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation (GIFT), who also heads the six-member committee, said the report will be submitted to the government within 15 days. “The committee is looking into the aspects of implementing the AB-NHPM in the state. We were asked to work out the rates and procedures by comparing it with the existing health insurance schemes like Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna/Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme-Plus (RSBY/CHIS Plus) and Karunya scheme,” said Narayana.
According to him, with the state government planning to launch the Karunya Suraksha Padhathi by merging the health insurance schemes, the committee will look into that aspect also. He further said the next sitting of the committee has been scheduled on Tuesday. It was in May the state government constituted a six-member committee with GIFT ‘s director as its head. The committee also has members drawn from the Directorate of Medical Education, Directorate of Health Services, Comprehensive Health Insurance Agency of Kerala and Karunya Benevolent Fund.
Earlier, the Health Department had stated while merging the health insurance schemes it will also incorporate the AB-NHPM. It is learned the scheme is on the cards to bring more beneficiaries under health insurance and promises to provide them with better medical insurance cover. It was after the finding there is considerable overlap between RSBY/CHIS Plus and Karunya scheme in terms of coverage, benefits package and delivery of services that the idea of formulating a new health insurance scheme becomes live.
According to the Union Health Ministry, about 28 states have so far signed an MoU with it for the implementation of AB-NHPM.