Haryana private hospitals to suspend Ayushman Bharat services for 24 hours on September 1

Private hospitals in Haryana will suspend services under the Ayushman Bharat scheme for 24 hours on September 1, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Haryana has said, citing pending claims worth nearly Rs 1,200 crore.

The suspension is being carried out as a protest against prolonged delays in settling claims. The association is demanding a fair and transparent reimbursement system for hospitals empanelled under the scheme.

The IMA Haryana has warned that the one-day suspension could be followed by a complete withdrawal of empanelled hospitals from Ayushman Bharat from September 16 if the government fails to substantially improve the payment situation.

The announcement places the focus on the reimbursement process for private hospitals providing services under Ayushman Bharat in Haryana. The association has linked its proposed action to the accumulation of unpaid claims and the delays in their settlement.

For September 1, the planned action is limited to a 24-hour suspension, according to the information released by the IMA Haryana. The association has not withdrawn its warning regarding September 16, but has made it conditional on whether the payment situation improves substantially.

The dispute centres on the amount of pending claims, the time taken to settle them and the system used to reimburse hospitals. The IMA Haryana is seeking changes that it says would make reimbursement fair and transparent.

The Ayushman Bharat services affected by the proposed action are those provided by private hospitals in Haryana under the scheme. The available information does not specify the number of hospitals involved or the government’s response to the association’s demands.