The governing board of National Health Authority (NHA) on Thursday approved a proposal to integrate existing health schemes of Central Ministries and public sector undertakings with Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).
The move is expected to benefit government employees, including contractual employees, Central Armed Police Force personnel and other beneficiary groups such as building and construction workers, manual scavengers, and road accident victims, a statement said.
When implemented, the proposal will help integrate existing health schemes run by Central ministries and departments with Ayushman Bharat.
The meeting chaired by Minister of Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan, gave in-principle approval for implementation of any healthcare scheme for employees (including Government employees) and other beneficiaries extended by central ministries, departments and other Central government bodies, based on their request, to be implemented on a common Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY platform. This is expected to seamlessly integrate all stakeholders in the ecosystem leading to enhancement of the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the extension of health services, it said.
“Such a synergy between both the Central health schemes and Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY would support in the promotion of supply side development and enhance demand creation for healthcare services. Further, inter-operability between both schemes would be highly beneficial for patients who are situated in geographical areas with limited healthcare facilities and will now be able to access these, especially through the portability feature of PM-JAY.” Harsh Vardhan said.
This initiative, he added, would result in convergence and building of a common, national health ecosystem.
The governing board also gave a go-ahead to conduct insurance pilots for covering missing middle/non-poor population (comprising varied sections of non-poor population such as informal sector workers, self-employed, professionals, employees in MSMEs etc) spread across occupations, geography and income strata, utilising the PM-JAY framework.
The meeting was attended board members such as NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, Sanjay Prasad, Joint Secretary Department of Expenditure, Dr. Ambrish Mithal, Dr. R K Patel, Principal Secretaries (Health) of Uttar Pradesh, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Member Secretary & NHA CEO Indu Bhushan.