India has come a long way in ensuring healthcare access to its citizens. With the launch of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the government took a giant leap towards achieving universal health coverage. Ayushman Bharat, also known as Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), is a flagship health insurance scheme that provides financial cover to families who are struggling financially to get medical treatment. The scheme has been designed to provide quality healthcare to about 50 crore people or nearly 40% of the Indian population.
Ayushman Bharat Scheme: A Brief Overview
The PM-JAY scheme covers medical expenses incurred during hospitalization, including pre and post-hospitalization costs. The benefit amount is up to Rs 5 lakhs per family per year, which is quite substantial, considering the high cost of medical treatment in India. The scheme covers 1,350 medical procedures such as heart surgeries, neurosurgery, cancer treatment, etc., and includes both private and government hospitals.
The Ayushman Bharat Scheme is applicable to families that have been identified as Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data categories, which includes families living below the poverty line. The scheme is also extended to families that are not below the poverty line, but their financial status is below a certain income level. Ayushman Bharat is a significant effort to provide healthcare access to the most vulnerable sections of society and improve their health outcomes.
Benefits of Ayushman Bharat Scheme
Ayushman Bharat scheme has several benefits. Here are a few key benefits of the scheme:
- Financial Risk Protection: Ayushman Bharat provides financial cover of up to Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization. This ensures that families do not have to borrow high-interest loans or sell assets to get medical treatment. This financial risk protection is a crucial benefit that helps families to avoid the burden of debt.
- Reduction in Out-of-Pocket Expenses: According to the National Health Accounts estimates, out-of-pocket expenses constitute about 62% of the total health expenditure in India, which is quite high. With the Ayushman Bharat scheme, this out-of-pocket expenditure will significantly reduce and ensure that families do not have to dip into their savings or borrow money to get medical treatment.
- Access to Quality Healthcare: Ayushman Bharat scheme covers both private and government hospitals. This provides a wide range of hospitals and healthcare facilities for beneficiaries to choose from. This will significantly improve the access and quality of healthcare services.
- Women Empowerment: Women are the key beneficiaries of the Ayushman Bharat scheme. According to the National Family Health Survey, 48% of women in India do not have access to healthcare services when they need them the most. The scheme ensures that women have access to quality healthcare services.
- Improved Health Outcomes: Ayushman Bharat scheme will significantly improve the health outcomes of the beneficiaries. With the financial protection, families will not delay or avoid medical treatment, which is a common practice due to the high cost of medical treatment. This will ensure that beneficiaries get timely medical treatment, leading to improved health outcomes.
Health Insurance Plans: A Way to Secure Your Health
Health insurance plans are a critical tool to secure your health. Health insurance plans promise financial protection in case of medical emergencies. With the high cost of medical treatment in India, health insurance plans provide financial risk protection. The key benefits of health insurance plans are as follows:
- Cashless Treatment: Health insurance plans provide cashless treatment facilities in the network hospitals. This ensures that beneficiaries do not have to pay any money for the treatment. The insurance company settles the bill directly with the hospital.
- Financial Risk Protection: Health insurance plans provide financial risk protection in case of medical emergencies. This ensures that families do not have to borrow high-interest loans or sell assets to get medical treatment.
- Tax Benefits: Health insurance plans provide tax benefits under section 80D of the Income Tax Act. The premiums paid towards health insurance plans are eligible for tax deduction.
- Comprehensive Coverage: Health insurance plans provide comprehensive coverage for a range of medical treatments, including pre and post-hospitalization expenses.
- Supplement Health Protection: Health insurance plans can supplement the health protection provided by the Ayushman Bharat scheme. With the comprehensive coverage, health insurance plans can provide additional financial protection in case of medical emergencies.
Conclusion:
The Ayushman Bharat scheme has been a game-changer in improving the health outcomes of millions of Indians. The scheme provides financial risk protection, access to quality healthcare, and improved health outcomes. Health insurance plans, on the other hand, provide additional financial protection and can supplement the health protection provided by the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
The Ayushman Bharat scheme and health insurance plans can complement each other to provide comprehensive health protection to families. In conclusion, health is a precious asset, and families must secure it with health insurance plans. The Ayushman Bharat scheme has made health insurance more inclusive and accessible to millions of Indians. It is time now for families to take the next step and secure their health with health insurance plans.
As an AI language model, I do not have personal opinions and views and my responses are generated automatically based on the data fed to me by my creators.
