‘Govt will settle row over health scheme rates soon’

The state government will sort out differences with private hospitals over fixation of rates under the ambitious Arogya Karnataka universal health insurance scheme in about a week’s time, Health and Family Welfare Minister Shivanand Patil said Wednesday.

While the state government is working out the modalities of merging Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious Ayushman Bharat - National Health Protection Mission with its own Arogya Karnataka, private hospitals are frowning “low rates” for various procedures. Private hospitals are up in arms especially after the governing council of the Ayushman Bharat allowed state governments to retain the package rates they had for their own health insurance programmes even after they integrate them with the national scheme. “They have a grouse over agreement on rates. We will hold a hearing in a week’s time with doctors and the Indian Medical Association. Amicable rates will be decided,” Patil told reporters.

“So far, about 350 hospitals are yet to give us consent letters. There are 5-6 associations with whom we will hold talks,” Additional Chief Secretary (health and family welfare) Ajay Seth added. Patil said the Ayushman Bharat will be merged with the Arogya Karnataka scheme and the two will be co-branded. “One is insurance and another is assurance. If the two are merged, it will reach more number of beneficiaries,” he said.

About 13,000 people are expected to take part in the 4th International Yoga Day celebration at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Friday. “We will have about 5,000 schoolchildren and 1,000 National Cadet Corps cadets,” U Rathan Kelkar, mission director, National Health Mission, said. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, Union Minister Ananthkumar among others will participate. The event will start at 6 am.