The National Health Agency (NHA), apex body to implement AYUSHMAN BHARAT today launched a formal process to empanel public and private hospitals to implement Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Scheme (AB-NHPM) to achieve universal health coverage.
The objective is to improve access for the most vulnerable, unreached sections of the population and holistically address healthcare by covering prevention, promotion and ambulatory care at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Speaking on this development, Dr. Indu Bhushan, CEO, National Health Agency and Ayushman Bharat, urged all the hospitals and healthcare service providers to maintain the motto of service to mankind and come forward to join Ayushman Bharat, India’s healthcare revolution, in spirit and deed.
“I call upon each one of you to partner with the mission through the empanelment process initiated today to enhance the accessibility for the people who need it most. I also request all the States/ UTs Governments to help us in garnering the support of hospitals and healthcare providers for this path-breaking mission,” Dr. Bhushan said.
Dr. Dinesh Arora, Dy. CEO, Ayushman Bharat said that the aim is to provide financial protection to 10.74 crore deprived rural families and identified occupational categories of urban workers’ families as per the latest Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data.
“We invite all private and super-speciality hospitals across India for empanelment as they play critical and indispensable role in this mission. “We are also making every effort to ensure that the empanelment process is conducted in a transparent, time-bound and non-partisan manner based on specific criteria, eligibility and guidelines,” Dr Dinesh Arora added. He further said that under Ayushman Bharat, both public and private healthcare systems will get strengthened and work in partnership to provide accessible and equitable healthcare services to all entitled beneficiaries.
Following the announcement today, the State Health Agencies (SHA) through State Empanelment Committees (SEC) will start empaneling private and public health care service providers and facilities in States and UTs as per the given guidelines. At the ground level, district, sub-district and block level workshops will be held to brief details of empanelment criteria, packages, processes and address any queries. Following the workshops, hospitals interested to get empaneled can do so by visiting the web portal, www.abnhpm.gov.in where complete details of the process can be accessed.
The State Health Agencies shall ensure empanelment within stipulated timelines for quick implementation if the applicants meet the essential criteria as defined for general or specialty care facilities. Over and above the essential criteria, facilities undertaking defined speciality packages are required to certain additional eligibility requirements. Specific criteria are outlined for cardiology and cardio-thoracic vascular services, cancer care, Neurosurgery, Burns, Plastic & Reconstructive surgery, Neonatal/Paediatric Surgery, Polytrauma, Nephrology and Urology Surgery.
AB-NHPM has been designed to provide financial protection and prevent catastrophic health care expenditures to over ten crore poor and vulnerable families and endow a cover for cashless hospitalization services of upto INR Five lakh per family per year.
