Uttar Pradesh Bagged Two Awards in Ayushman Bharat Scheme

Ayushman Bharat

Ayushman Bharat, a flagship scheme of the Centre, was launched on September 23, 2018, after recommendations by the National Health Policy 2017 to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC). 

Ayushman Bharat has two main components, one of which is the PM-JAY program, alongside Health and Wellness Centers. 

Ayushman Bharat is a government-run healthcare initiative that aims to provide coverage for over 10 crore impoverished and vulnerable families, which is approximately 50 crore individuals. The scheme offers up to 5 lakh rupees per family per year for hospitalization, specifically for secondary and tertiary care. 

The Ayushman Bharat - National Health Protection Mission will replace the existing centrally sponsored schemes, namely the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and the Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme (SCHIS).

Features:

• The Ayushman Bharat - National Health Protection Mission will provide a benefit cover of Rs. 5 lakh per year to every family. This benefit is portable throughout the country, meaning that beneficiaries can access cashless benefits from any public or private hospitals that are empanelled. 
• The scheme is entitlement-based and will consider the deprivation criteria found in the socio economic caste census (SECC) database. 
• Beneficiaries can use the scheme's benefits in both public and private facilities. 
• Treatment payments will be based on a predefined package rate set by the government to control costs. One of the central principles of the scheme is cooperative federalism, giving states flexibility. 
• To ensure coordination between the Centre and States, a council called the Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission Council (AB-NHPMC) will be established, chaired by the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister. 
• States will need to have a State Health Agency (SHA) to implement the scheme. To ensure timely funding, funds from the Central Government to State Health Agencies may be transferred through an escrow account directly. 
• A paperless, cashless transaction system will be put in place through the IT platform, which will be developed in partnership with NITI Aayog.

The National Health Authority (NHA) is the main organization responsible for carrying out India's primary health insurance program, the "Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana." NHA has been given the task of developing a plan, constructing technical infrastructure, and executing the "Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission" to establish a national digital health system. NHA is overseeing the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), working alongside various ministries, state governments, and private and civil organizations.