Bifurcation blues and nativity issues may have cast their shadow on other welfare schemes, but things seem to be smooth in Aarogyasri health insurance scheme, so far.
Aarogyasri Trust has not yet been divided and will remain so for the next one year at least, as it is in the 10th schedule. But, funds, costs, personnel and other issues have already been demarcated without much ado on June 2 itself, using the number of districts as well as the population ratio, senior officials, seeking anonymity, explain.
So, how are the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana releasing funds to their respective domicile patients undergoing various treatments in the empanelled hospitals? Simple: Bills are disbursed as per the addresses in the white ration cards submitted.
The Trust, using the data of the Civil Supplies Department - 84 lakh white ration cards in Telangana and 1.29 crore in A.P., has been looking into the address of the ration card of the benefactor concerned before sending the bills to the governments of both States. For now, there is no problem with regard to funds as last year’s disbursal of Rs.1,350 crore for the unified State has been taken into account for the current year too. From this, Rs. 925 crore is government grant and Rs. 425 crore is from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. It has been divided thus: Rs.783 crore to A.P. and Rs.567 crore to Telangana, including budgetary grant and CMRF of either State, they say.
“Separate accounts are maintained and patients’ bills are sent to the respective governments,” senior officials aver. About 487 hospitals are empanelled in the scheme - 152 government and 335 private hospitals, of which 118 are within GHMC jurisdiction alone.
While both States are aiming to double the government-private hospitals share from the present 30 per cent to 60 per cent (it was just 13 per cent in the beginning), only about 20 per cent of patients from A.P. are taking treatment in top corporate hospitals here.
Senior Trust officials also contend that their records give an indication of the patients’ preferences. “Patients are opting to go the nearest medical facility rather than sticking to their particular regions. For instance, we have noticed patients hailing from Khammam going to Vijayawada and patients hailing from Nalgonda to Guntur-Vijayawada. Similarly, patients from Mahabubnagar are opting for hospitals in Kurnool.”
Interestingly, Karnataka’s health scheme too is following a similar formula. It is allowing patients from Bidar and other areas to utilise medical facilities in Hyderabad and reimbursing the bills without any hassle, they add.
