IMA writes to CM, PM over delayed payments under Ayushman Bharat

The Indian Medical Association (IMA), Haryana, has expressed concern over the alleged delays in payments to private hospitals under the Ayushman Bharat scheme across the state. It has sent a memorandum to Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and shared the same memorandum with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister JP Nadda on their social media accounts, demanding their intervention to safeguard the scheme’s future.

Dr Mahaveer P Jain, president of IMA Haryana unit, said that the Ayushman Bharat scheme, introduced in 2018, initially covered treatment in government hospitals before being extended to private facilities. The scheme has seen significant success in the state, making the Haryana Government expand its scope under the Chirayu Yojana to cover more underprivileged citizens, including senior citizens above 70 years of age.

He, along with other office-bearers, emphasised that private hospitals play a crucial role in the scheme’s implementation, offering cashless and quality healthcare services to millions of people. “To ensure their participation, the government had promised timely payment within 15 days and an additional 1 per cent interest per week for any delays beyond the stipulated time as per the MoU signed with the hospitals. Unfortunately, despite these assurances, payments are being delayed by three to six months. Even interest for delayed payments is being denied by officials, claiming that payments will be made on time. Payments are only released after repeated warnings of service withdrawal, and that too every 3-4 months,” the state president asserted.

The state president also criticised the growing list of objections raised during claim processing, arbitrary deductions without explanation and categorisation of valid claims as "false" to avoid payments — some pending for over three years.

He said that five popular treatment packages have been removed from the scheme without ensuring adequate alternatives in government hospitals.

The association also raised the issue of deduction of budget. “Despite a payment of Rs 1,300 crore in 2023–24 and a projected Rs 1,800 crore in 2024–25, the budget for financial year 2025–26 has been slashed to just Rs 700 crore, which has already been consumed. This budget cut completely contradicts the government’s public commitments and puts the scheme at risk,” the IMA president said.

He also highlighted that they have submitted several representations to CM Nayab Singh Saini, but his intervention did not yield much. He alleged that bureaucratic resistance and hidden agendas are obstructing the scheme’s implementation and pushing empanelled private hospitals to withdraw from the programme.

“We request the PM, Union Health Minister and CM to intervene to save the scheme, which is meant for poor and needy people,” he said.