The merger of Telangana government’s Aarogyasri Health Scheme and Centre’s Ayushman Bharat Scheme has increased the maximum health protection to ₹5 lakh per year. Around 79 lakh families who are beneficiaries of Aarogyasri scheme are eligible for it.
The upper limit under Aarogyasri scheme was ₹2 lakh per year to each of the 79 lakh families. “After merger of the two schemes, the upper limit of health protection to all the families’ increases to ₹5 lakh per annum,” said senior officials from the State Health Department.
Until mid May-2021, only Aarogyasri health scheme was implemented in the State. Prior to May, the State government expressed reluctance over coverage of Ayushman Bharat.
On May 18, it was announced that the State Health Department has signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Health Authority for the implementation of Ayushman Bharat (Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana) scheme in the State. There after, modalities for implementation of the two schemes was being worked out.
Senior officials said that around 1,028 health ailments or diseases were covered under Aarogyasri Scheme, and 1,668 under Ayushman Bharat Scheme.
“Over 1020 diseases and ailments are common between the two schemes. The remaining 646 diseases which are covered only under Ayushman Bharat can be availed at government hospitals. Treatment for the 646 diseases under the merged schemes at private hospitals is conditional. Talks will be held with the private hospital managements about it,” said the senior official.
The list of the diseases covered under the two schemes is yet to be uploaded in a website.
One of the common critical question asked by people about implementation of health schemes is why government pays for treatment at government hospitals - where any medical service is provided free of cost. The question rises again after merger of the two schemes.
Senior officials in the Health Department reasoned that the government hospitals get money for treatment under the health schemes. Health care workers get some money under it too.
“The health insurance benefit helps in development of the hospitals and could serve as a motivation,” another senior official said.
The officials also said that as the Ayushman Bharat scheme is implemented in Telangana too, patients from other States will opt for treatment at hospitals here.
“Everyone knows that patients from various States opted hospitals in Telangana for COVID treatment. Their numbers were high. Now, if beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat opt for treatment of other diseases, it will bring money to hospitals. It helps the patients and the hospitals,” said the official.
