Ayushman Bharat: West Bengal launching scheme today — Check hospitals, eligibility, benefits, documents, how to apply

The West Bengal government is set to launch the Centre's health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat today. State health minister Sharadwat Mukherjee on Friday said that 16 August will be observed as Ayushman Diwas’, PTI reported.

The scheme aims to cover as many as 1.5 crore families, comprising. 6 crore people, it added. Further, for those who are ineligible under Ayushman Bharat, West Bengal has extended the option of its cashless coverage scheme, Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojana, according to Mukherjee.

‘Ayushman Diwas’ programme will be held at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata at 3 pm today, with the Chief Minister Suvendhu Adhikari and Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel expected to be in attendance, as per a report by The Statesman.

Health cards under the Ayushman Bharat will be distributed after the programme, it said. The development brings the people of West Bengal under the same health-security framework as the rest of the country, the PTI added.

How many hospitals are under the scheme?

According to the West Bengal health minister, a total of 1,930 hospitals in the state, comprising 1,303 private hospitals and 627 government facilities, have been brought under the scheme.

He added that the Centre has allocated around ₹1,000 crore for implementation of Ayushman Bharat in the state. While this accounts for 60% of the funding, rest 40% of the expense will be borne by the state.

Mukherjee added that West Bengal natives would also be able to avail the scheme outside the state at more than 40,000 empanelled hospitals across the country. The aim is to make the scheme useful for migrant workers or residents who fall ill while travelling outside the state, as per the report.

How will the scheme be implemented?

Mukherjee said that Ayushman Bharat cards will be distributed to eligible parties for free. “No money will be charged for issuing Ayushman Bharat cards. No resident of Bengal would remain outside the health-insurance safety net of the government,” he said.

Further, to prevent unreasonable billing, excessive package charges and other irregularities at private hospitals, the minister said that a nodal team from the state Health Department will hold review meetings every fortnight. “Agreements with private hospitals have also been finalised for the next 90 days,” he added.

According to Mukherjee, the TMC government's Swasthya Sathi insurance scheme will continue for the next three months alongside Ayushman Bharat and Swasthya Bima while beneficiaries are gradually shifted to the new schemes in phases.

He added that the state government plans to review all three schemes over the next two months.

What are the benefits of Ayushman Bharat?

• Around 3.4 crore people in West Bengal are already covered under Ayushman Bharat and would be able to avail themselves of services from 16 August.
• A major benefit of Ayushman Bharat is no upper limit on the number of family members covered.
• It provides up to ₹5 lakh annual coverage for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation for each family.
• Every member of a family will be eligible for the benefit, the minister explained, adding that the health insurance scheme will also cover the cost of treating pre-existing diseases.
• Under the scheme, costs of medicines, diagnostic tests and follow-up treatment will be covered from three days before hospitalisation until 15 days after discharge, Mukherjee said.

• The health minister also announced that every citizen above the age of 70 would be brought under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
• Talking of the benefits of the scheme, Mukherjee said those having an ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) ID will no longer need to repeatedly submit their medical history as they did previously.
• By showing their ABHA ID, doctors will be able to access the patient's complete digital medical record, making the treatment process faster and easier, he said.

What are the eligibility criteria?

• In rural areas, those living in temporary houses, landless agricultural labourers, families that do not include an adult man who earns, and SC/ST families are eligible.
• In cities and urban areas, those from professions such as street vendors, domestic helpers, construction workers, transport operators, sanitation workers, and mechanics are eligible.
• Further, all resident over 70 years of age automatically qualifies.
• Similarly, all frontline workers such as ASHA workers, AWW’s and AWH’s are included directly as beneficiaries.

How to apply for Ayushman Bharat: Stepwise guide

You will have to provide your Aadhaar card, ration card, Aadhaar-linked mobile number, and proof of age with your application. for either online and offline applications, so keep these ready.

• To apply online, visit the official portal here — https://beneficiary.nha.gov.in/
• Select the beneficiary and enter your mobile number to log in with OTP.
• You can find family details by as follows: Select state as West Bengal — Enter your mobile number — Enter Aadhaar number / ration card number.
• If your name is listed as ‘Unverified’, you need to complete digital verification to confirm KYC. For this: Click on Action / e-KYC and select your choice of verification method (Aadhaar OTP, Iris Scan or Face Authentication) to complete the confirmation process.
• After KYC confirmation you can access and download your Ayushman Card in pdf format.

You can also choose to apply offline by visiting empanelled government medical colleges, district hospitals, or private hospitals and seeking the Ayushman Mitra helpdesks. Or visit local administrative outreach camps (Duare Sarkar) which are designated for the physical registration, e-KYC, and biometric updates.