Srinagar: SEHAT scheme -free health insurance cover- in Jammu and Kashmir is proving to be a game-changer as so far over 6 lakh patients have received free treatment on which Rs 693 crore have been spent.
“Over 6 lakh people have been treated under the scheme in Jammu and Kashmir till April. For which payments amounting to Rs 693 crore have been disbursed to various hospitals across the country,” said a senior health official.
According to official figures, the total beneficiaries verified in AB PM-JAY and SEHAT as of date is 70.6 lakh. The total number of E-Cards issued as of date is 70.5 lakh.
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) SEHAT in convergence with PM-JAY provides cashless access to health care services for the beneficiary at the point of service, that is, the hospital.
AB PM-JAY SEHAT in convergence with PM-JAY envisions to help mitigate catastrophic expenditure on medical treatment for all the residents of Jammu and Kashmir. It covers up to 3 days of pre-hospitalization and 15 days of post-hospitalization expenses such as diagnostics and medicines. There is no restriction on the family size, age or gender. All pre-existing conditions are covered from day one.
The government has empanelled nearly 250 hospitals including privately run health institutes to provide treatment to the beneficiaries under the scheme.
In December 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY SEHAT to extend coverage to all residents of Jammu and Kashmir.
AB-PMJAY is a flagship health scheme of the Government of India launched in 2018 and provides a cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family every year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.
Medical procedures such as oncology, cardiology, and nephrology are included in the scheme, the official said.
Beneficiaries can avail services from any of the empanelled hospitals across the country under AB-PMJAY’s portability feature.
Pertinently, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir has launched ‘Sehat’ in convergence with Ayushman Bharat to extend free of cost and cashless health insurance to nearly one crore residents of the Union territory, thus becoming the first UT in India to bring all its population under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme.