Explain the necessary criteria for Ayushman Bharat Yojana scheme?

The Ayushman Bharat Yojana scheme was launched in 2018 by the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. This scheme is meant to provide free healthcare to the urban and rural poor of the country. This scheme covers preventive as well as promotive healthcare.

Eligibility:

There are numerous ways to find out if you are eligible for the Ayushman Bharat Scheme:

1. Visit a private or government hospital that is empaneled. Request the staff to check via “Am I eligible” mobile app or the PMJAY website.
2. Visit the PMJAY kiosk online and check for eligibility yourself
3. Call 14555 to enquire about eligibility.

If you are eligible for the scheme, you must have an e-card. If you don’t possess one, a new e-card/golden card will be created for you at the PMJAY kiosk website. Since the digitization of most government platforms has happened in recent years, you can check for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban eligibility.  The home loan subsidy eligibility can be checked online too.

Your healthcare provider has to inform you about all the costs associated with your treatment, including the costs that the Ayushman Bharat Yojana won’t cover. If you are the beneficiary of this scheme and you are not hospitalized, you will have to pay all consultation and medication charges. The actual benefit of this scheme is for hospitalized patients.

If the beneficiary is hospitalized:

• The beneficiary will have to get all the diagnostic tests done at the Empaneled Hospital as prescribed by his/her doctor. The hospital cannot charge him/her before the tests are completed.
• The doctor prescribes the necessary medicine and provides the beneficiary with the required healthcare.
• The doctor will provide all the details like test reports and official prescription associated with the treatment to the Pradhan Mantri Aarogya Mitran (PMAM). The PMAM will click a picture of the beneficiary on the hospital bed and upload it on the Transaction Management System Portal of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana Scheme kiosk. After the government verifies the images and the details, the claim is said to be successful.
• At the time of discharge, the PMAM is supposed to take another picture of the beneficiary. The PMAM uploads this picture onto the Transaction Management System.
• After release, the healthcare provider has to ensure holistic care for the beneficiary for at least 15 days after the discharge. To do this, most hospitals provide medicines, and diagnostic tests are done to confirm treatment.

This scheme has proven to be a boon for Indian healthcare, just like the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban, eligibility for which varies by income and residence details. This scheme ensures home loan subsidy. Eligibility for the subsidy amount and other details can be checked online.

There have also been numerous other plans by the government, but the Ayushman Bharat Yojana is one of the most revolutionary. It has provided lakhs of people across the country with affordable healthcare options and has considerably improved the costs of treatment for most diseases.