The Health Ministry has called on public and private hospitals to come on board to implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme. The National Health Agency (NHA), the apex body implementing the scheme that envisions providing cashless insurance up to Rs 5 lakh for 10.74 crore poor families, has launched the formal process to empanel public and private hospitals.

From July 4, the State Health Agencies (SHA) through the State Empanelment Committees (SEC) will start empanelling private and public healthcare service providers and facilities in states and UTs in line with the given guidelines. Workshops will be held at the ground, district, sub-district and block levels to brief officials on the details of the empanelment criteria, packages, processes and address any queries. Following the workshops, interested hospitals can empanel themselves by visiting the web portal – www.abnhpm.gov.in -- where complete details of the process can be accessed.

SHAs will ensure empanelment within stipulated timelines for quick implementation if the applicants meet the essential criteria as defined for general or speciality care facilities. Over and above the essential criteria, facilities undertaking defined speciality packages are required to adhere to certain additional eligibility requirements. Specific criteria are also outlined for cardiology and cardio-thoracic vascular services, cancer care, neurosurgery, burns, plastic & reconstructive surgery, neonatal and paediatric surgery, polytrauma, nephrology and urology surgery.

Twenty-four of the 36 states and union territories have one or the other scheme covering a stipulated population for cashless insurance services. Most of these schemes will be subsumed under Ayushman Bharat. Also, hospitals already empanelled under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) need not register online again.

Dr Indu Bhushan, CEO, National Health Agency and Ayushman Bharat said, “I call upon each one of you to partner with the mission through the empanelment process initiated today to enhance accessibility for the people who need it most. I also request all the states/ UT governments to help us garner the support of hospitals and healthcare providers in this path-breaking mission.”

“We are also making every effort to ensure that the empanelment process is conducted in a transparent, time-bound and non-partisan manner based on specific criteria, eligibility and guidelines,” Dr Dinesh Arora, Deputy CEO of Ayushman Bharat said.