Srinagar, Aug 29: The J&K High Court has intervened after all private hospitals in the union territory decided to refuse patients under the national health insurance programme, Ayushman Bharat Yojana, from September 1. Private hospitals in J&K jointly decided to refuse patient admissions from September 1 claiming that multiple crores of outstanding under this programme had not been paid by IFFCO TOKIO general insurance company to them resulting in huge financial implications for these hospitals. The high court has now directed IFFCO TOKIO general insurance company to continue with the existing arrangement as per the terms and conditions of the contract agreement regarding Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana-SEHAT (AB-PMJAY-SEHAT) pending resolution of dispute with the UT government by the arbitrator.
The direction has been passed in a petition filed by the Government of J&K wherein it was submitted that the government launched Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana-SEHAT to provide free of cost Universal Health Coverage to all its residents, including the serving and retired employees and their families. The scheme is intended to provide the same benefits that were available under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), a Government of India scheme, that provides annual health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per family on a floater and cashless basis through an established network of health care providers. The scheme was introduced.