Ayushman Bharat announcement expected in I-Day speech

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to launch the Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Wednesday, setting in motion the world's biggest medical insurance scheme offered by Central government to nearly 50 crore people.

Sources told DH that the Prime Minister might announce launching a pilot programme for the scheme in a handful of states including poll bound Chhattishgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Two other states on the list are Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The pilot programme may continue for about 4-6 weeks, after which it may be rolled out for the entire country either on September 25, the birth anniversary of BJP ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay, or on Gandhi Jayanti on October 2.

In March, the Union Cabinet cleared the Ayushman Bharat Mission under which the central government promised to provide a family insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh to 10.74 crore poor and deprived families.

Nicknamed Modi-Care by BJP, the scheme will subsume the on-going centrally sponsored programmes like Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana and the Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme. Currently 28 states are on-board the programme.

The beneficiaries have been identified on the basis of the 2011 Socio Economic Caste Census, whose results were updated through a nation-wide exercise.

“AB-NHPM will run on a state-of-the-art IT system with in-built intelligence and data processing capabilities for detection of fraud and misuse. The IT backbone is ready,” said Ayushman Bharat CEO Indu Bhusan.

Officials also cautioned people not to fall into the trap of false WhatsApp messages and websites that ask people to get enrolled for the scheme after paying a fee.

“Neither do you have to pay a premium amount nor enroll yourself anywhere for Ayushman Bharat NHPM. The beneficiaries have already been identified through the SECC, 2011 database. Stay away from any fraudulent activity asking for money or document submission for enrolment,” tweeted National Health Agency that will implement it.