The minister said that since April 1, 2024, the government has disbursed Rs 101.66 crore to private hospitals and Rs 112 crore to public hospitals.
Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh on Thursday refuted claims by private hospitals that the state government owed them over Rs 600 crore for various treatments obtained under the Ayushman Bharat Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojna.
He said the total outstanding amount for both public and private hospitals is Rs 364 crore.
Singh said the breakdown of outstanding payments shows that Rs 166.67 crore is owed to public hospitals and Rs 197 crore to private hospitals.
The minister’s reaction came a day after private hospitals and nursing association (PHANA) claimed that the state government owed over Rs 600 crore and had also threatened to stop providing medical treatment under the Ayushman Bharat Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana.
In particular, the Ayushman Bharat Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana offers cashless treatment for up to Rs 500,000 per family per year in 772 government and private hospitals across the state.
The minister said that since April 1, 2024, the government has disbursed Rs 101.66 crore to private hospitals and Rs 112 crore to public hospitals.
Singh said the technical issues arose from February after switching to a new software for claims processing launched by the National Health Agency (NHA), resulting in a slowdown in claims processing.
However, the State Health Agency (SHA) took swift action, including allocating more staff and working during weekends and holidays, to tackle the problem.
To resolve the issue, the minister has called a meeting with PHANA representatives on Friday.
Additionally, a meeting has also been scheduled with the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on September 25 to address any concerns related to payments.
Meanwhile, the minister said he has already directed the state health agency to engage medical professionals to expedite the processing of claims and ensure timely payments to hospitals included under the Ayushman Bharat Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First published: September 20, 2024 | 7:04 am IS
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