The healthcare industry has urged the government to increase the reimbursement for tertiary care under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) and allocate more funds to boost the hospital bed density in the country. During a pre-Budget meeting with finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the industry also proposed subsidizing certain adult vaccines and addressing the regional disparity in terms of hospital bed availability per 1,000 population.
Girdhar Gyani, director general of the Association of Healthcare Providers of India, highlighted the need to enhance reimbursement rates for tertiary care and allow patients to pay additional charges at high-end hospitals beyond the PM-JAY reimbursements. The PMJAY scheme, introduced in September 2018, provides free health coverage of Rs 5 lakh per year to 107 million disadvantaged households, encompassing approximately 40% of the population. However, the private sector, where 85% of tertiary care beds are located, has raised concerns about the inadequate reimbursement rates under the program.
The association also presented data revealing that India has less than two hospital beds per 1,000 population, falling short of the World Health Organization’s standard of 3.5 beds per 1,000 population. Disparities exist among states, with Karnataka having 4.2 beds per 1,000 population and Bihar only having 0.3 beds, leading residents to seek healthcare services in other states. Gyani emphasized the government’s responsibility to address this imbalance and take steps to improve healthcare infrastructure nationwide.