Gurgaon: Private hospitals across Haryana on Tuesday stopped providing treatment under the Ayushman Bharat scheme for 24 hours, citing prolonged delays in reimbursement by the state govt and claiming that nearly Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 crore is pending with hospitals across the state. Indian Medical Association (IMA), Haryana, said if govt doesn’t clear the backlog, then the hospitals will go for indefinite suspension of Ayushman services from Sept 16.On Tuesday, around 500 hospitals across the state refused to provide cashless treatment to the beneficiaries. Dr Ajay Mahajan of IMA-Haryana said the hospitals were not opposed to the scheme but would not provide services without timely reimbursements. “Hospitals want to work and help needy patients but govt can’t keep on doing charity at the cost of doctors,” he said.Earlier, there were 650 Ayushman-empanelled private hospitals in the state. Around 150 of them have already stopped providing the service because of irregular payments.The standoff between private hospitals and govt is expected to push more patients towards govt hospitals.Director general of the health department, Manish Bansal, said govt hospitals are well-equipped to handle the influx of patients in case private hospitals indefinitely suspended Ayushman services.IMA-Haryana’s estimate of pending dues too was disputed by the health department. “I checked with the CEO of Ayushman Bharat, Haryana, and I was told the backlog is not as inflated as has been claimed,” Bansal told TOI.Further, he said the funds have already been released by govt and would reach the hospitals through the Ayushman department. “The govt is clear that no private hospital will suffer because of the scheme. There might be some delays, but payments will be made,” he said.In an appeal to private hospitals, he told them not to deny beneficiaries treatment. “It is inhuman and against ethics,” Bansal said.The latest action comes weeks after IMA-Haryana had warned in July that all 650 private hospitals would stop providing Ayushman services if reimbursements are delayed. The association had said several hospitals had received only a fraction of their billed amount since March.The association said it held a meeting with health department officials on Monday, but no resolution was reached.“This is not just about dues. The financial design of the scheme is flawed. Hospitals are being forced to either compromise on quality or stop services,” said IMA-Haryana president Dr Mahavir Jain.The association has also demanded that Haryana increase its Ayushman Bharat budget to Rs 2,000 crore, saying the existing allocation was inadequate.Under Ayushman Bharat, empanelled hospitals provide cashless treatment to eligible beneficiaries and subsequently submit claims to govt for reimbursement. For patients who cannot afford private treatment, the suspension could become a concern if the standoff continues beyond 24 hours.
