Bhopal. Problems of patients associated with Ayushman Bharat scheme may increase in Madhya Pradesh. Three major medical organizations of the state, IMA Madhya Pradesh, MP Nursing Home Association and United Private Hospitals Directors Association have announced a statewide indefinite boycott of the scheme from today (Thursday).
Today, patients will not be treated under Ayushman Scheme in private hospitals of the state. Medical organizations have also demanded immediate removal of the NBHS requirement. The government has decided that after getting the NBHS certificate, one will be eligible for treatment in the hospital.
Medical and hospital organizations have announced a decisive movement regarding this. Along with boycotting the scheme, today they will travel to New Delhi with an ambulance.
According to hospital organizations, there are preparations to include about 1000 ambulances in the proposed Delhi march. All the ambulances will not leave together, but will leave for Delhi in a phased manner in different batches at different times from different districts of the state.
New rule is putting financial burden on hospitals
Dr. Dhananjay Mishra, Vice President of Hospital Operators Union (UPHDA), said that hospitals are fully in favor of quality and patient safety standards, but forcibly making NABH mandatory is putting a huge financial and administrative burden on small and medium hospitals.
Instead of making NABH mandatory, it should be made voluntary and incentive based. Quality standards should be practical commensurate with the hospitals’ size, capacity and available resources. Such a system should not be made which makes it difficult for small and medium hospitals to remain in the Ayushman scheme.
Ayushman payment stuck for a long time
Advisory Chairman Dr. Zeeshan Ahmed said that small and medium private hospitals are facing serious financial crisis due to long pending payment under Ayushman Scheme.
He said that valid claims stuck due to Portal-1, Portal-2, CPD Reject Claim, Trigger, Authentication and other procedural reasons should be paid immediately.
Hospitals have spent their own money treating the patients. It is not practical to expect hospitals to continue uninterrupted services by withholding their money for months.
All old valid dues should be settled immediately and definite time limits and accountability should be fixed for every future payment.
Hospital organizations say that before treating the patient, pre-authorization is taken based on the disease, proposed treatment and package.
After this the hospital treats the patient at its own resources and expense. In such a situation, rejecting a valid claim without any solid reason or deducting a huge amount after completion of treatment creates a serious financial crisis for the hospitals.
Payment deadlines and responsibilities should be fixed
Dr. Vishal Singh Baghel, President, UPHDA Madhya Pradesh, said that the hospitals are demanding long pending payments and practical solutions to the policy and procedural problems.
He made it clear that the hospital organizations will remain united in the joint movement until the problems are resolved satisfactorily. He said that timely resolution of pending payment and claim related problems of hospitals is necessary.
Like treatment, payment should also have a fixed time limit and accountability. So that hospitals do not have to face financial crisis.
739 hospitals in the state affiliated to the scheme
Let us inform that the new condition has come into effect from October 1, 2026 for the hospitals associated with Ayushman Bharat ‘Niramayam’ scheme in the state.
NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Health Care Providers) certificate is mandatory for hospitals affiliated with Ayushman Yojana in Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior and Jabalpur.
This rule was initially supposed to come into effect from April 1, but to give hospitals time to prepare, its date was extended by six months to October 1.
According to the data available on the website of the National Health Authority, there are 739 hospitals affiliated with the Ayushman scheme in these four cities.
Of these, 310 hospitals have NBH certificate. Excluding government hospitals, there are about 300 private hospitals whose Ayushman affiliation may be affected under the new rule.