Health schemes face many challenges in new regime

The Rajasthan state government is grappling with the challenge of continuing vital health schemes, facing hurdles in the wake of the closure of two schemes in the last two days. The discontinuation of the Rajiv Gandhi Yuva Mitra Internship Scheme and Mahatma Gandhi Seva Preraks by the BJP government has raised concerns about the fate of ongoing health initiatives. The Chief Minister Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme and Rajasthan Government Health Scheme (RGHS) face obstacles, with major private hospitals reluctant to participate, causing distress to patients.
Patients, who were previously beneficiaries of these schemes initiated by the Congress government, are now encountering difficulties as several prominent private hospitals refuse to provide treatment under the health schemes. The rift between the state government and private hospital organizations regarding the Right to Health Bill provisions and package rates sparked the dispute last year and persists to the present.
Despite Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s commitment to continuing public-interest schemes, the government is expected to face challenges in sustaining health initiatives concurrently with the expanded scope of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. The government’s promise to raise the Ayushman insurance limit to Rs 25 lakh necessitates positive negotiations with private hospitals to ensure a smooth continuation of scheme benefits for patients.
The primary challenges include budgetary constraints for the Chiranjeevi and Ayushman Bharat schemes, with concerns over increased expenditures. The existing package rates for about 1700 diseases under Chiranjeevi have led to discontent among private hospitals, arguing that quality treatment is not feasible at these rates. Private hospitals allege exploitation, claiming that government hospitals receive the same payment from insurance companies as private facilities, promoting the misconception of free treatment. The contentious issue of uniform treatment package rates for diverse facilities also exacerbates the challenges faced by the government in the health sector.

Major challenges regarding the health schemes:

• Under Chiranjeevi, private hospitals with package rates for nearly 1700 diseases are not happy.
• Private hospitals argue that providing quality treatment at these rates is not possible.
• Constant rate application hinders the use of modern medical techniques.

Allegations against private hospitals:

• Private hospitals are being paid by insurance companies as much as government hospitals, leading to exploitation in the private sector.
• The government, while misleading the public, opened the door to filling the treasury of Government Medical Relief Societies (GMRS) by taking money from the public, which was promoted as free treatment.
• The same package rates for both five-star facilities and small private hospitals on the street.