28 lakh families in Haryana to get Ayushman Bharat benefits

Nearly 28 lakh families in Haryana will get benefits under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana after expansion of the scheme's scope by the state government to include more beneficiaries, according to an official statement.

''In the year 2018, to provide better health facilities to the needy and the economically deprived sections in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Haryana is also ensuring that its benefits reach every verified eligible beneficiary as per the 2011 Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) data,'' it read.

The Haryana government has started extending benefits of the scheme to needy families that do not feature in the 2011 SECC data. The eligible annual income limit of BPL families for inclusion in the scheme has been increased from Rs 1.20 lakh to Rs 1.80 lakh, the statement said.

''The financial liability for inclusion of these families will be borne by the state government,'' it said.

Speaking to reporters here after a party meeting, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said he would inaugurate the card distribution programme for the scheme in Manesar on November 21 for such beneficiaries.

He added that his government would soon start a programme to conduct health screening of people in the state and digital records of the tests would be kept.

As per the norms of the Centre, 15,51,798 families in Haryana were being covered under this scheme, but after the expansion of the scheme benefit, now 28 lakh families of the state will be benefited, it said.

Free medical facilities of up to Rs 5 lakh will be provided to all these families under the scheme, the statement said.

As per official data, 28,89,036 Ayushman Bharat cards have been made in Haryana. There are 715 hospitals empanelled under the scheme in the state – 539 private and 176 government hospitals.

So far, 5,51,480 claims have been filed under the scheme and claims worth more than Rs 580.77 crore settled, it said.

The mega health screening exercise will start from November 29. It will begin with people belonging to the BPL category, followed by students and then other people will be covered, Khattar said.