Context:

Union government has recently added more services to Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres.

• Launch year – 2018 as recommended by the National Health Policy 2017.
• Aim – It is a progression towards promotive, preventive, curative, palliative and rehabilitative aspects of Universal Healthcare.
• Ayushman Bharat Mission has a centrally sponsored scheme with a central sector component.
• Ministry – Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
• The vision of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) was the driving force behind its launch.
• It consists of two components
  • Health and wellness Centres and
  • Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)
• The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) was founded along with this scheme to make healthcare more convenient for citizens.

Health and Wellness Centres

• Under this 1.5 lakh existing sub centres will bring health care system closer to the homes of people in the form of Health and wellness centres.
• These centres will provide comprehensive health care, including for non-communicable diseases and maternal and child health services.
• Under the latest expansion, the Central government is adding services, including
  • Screening, prevention, control & management of non-communicable diseases,
  • Care for common ophthalmic & ear, nose, and throat problems,
  • Basic oral health care,
  • Elderly and palliative health care services,
  • Emergency medical services, and
  • Screening and management of mental health ailments.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM- JAY)

• It is the largest health assurance scheme in the world.
• Aim – To provide a health cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to over 12 crores poor and vulnerable families that form the bottom 40% of the Indian population.

• Coverage Basis – The households included are based on the deprivation and occupational criteria of Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 (SECC 2011) for rural and urban areas respectively.
• It subsumed the existing Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and the Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme (SCHIS).
• Fund Allocation – The Government fully funds PM-JAY, and the Central and State Governments share the cost of implementation.
• Features of PMJAY
  • PM-JAY provides cashless access to health care services for the beneficiary at the point of service, that is, the hospital.
  • PM-JAY envisions to help mitigate catastrophic expenditure on medical treatment each year.
  • It covers up to 3 days of pre-hospitalization and 15 days post-hospitalization expenses such as diagnostics and medicines.
  • There is no restriction on the family size, age or gender.
  • All pre–existing conditions are covered from day one.
  • The scheme envisages portable across the country.
  • Services include covering all the costs related to treatment, drugs, supplies, diagnostic services, physician’s fees, room charges, surgeon charges, OT and ICU charges etc.
  • The reimbursement for healthcare services at par with private hospitals is provided to public hospitals.

FAQs related to the Ayushman Bharat Scheme

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