Uttar Pradesh’s health department is cracking the whip on Ayushman Bharat empaneled hospitals, promising payments within 30 days while banning any laxity in treatment. The directive, announced Tuesday, seeks to fix chronic reimbursement delays that have forced some facilities to scale back services for poor patients.
At the core of the order is a clear ultimatum: deliver top-notch care or face payment cuts and blacklisting. State health secretary Parag Jain instructed district magistrates to conduct surprise inspections and blacklist errant hospitals. This follows a spike in patient grievances reported via the toll-free helpline.
Under PM-JAY, UP hospitals have treated millions since 2018, but payment lags—often stretching to 90 days—have strained resources. The new 30-day rule includes automated claim approvals for straightforward cases, slashing processing time by 70%.
Key reforms include mandatory e-KYC for beneficiaries, AI-driven fraud detection, and a grievance redressal window of 48 hours. Hospitals flouting protocols, such as unnecessary tests or premature discharges, will forfeit dues. ‘Timely money means timely medicine,’ quipped a Lucknow-based hospital administrator.
The policy rollout coincides with the scheme’s expansion, targeting 27 lakh additional families. Frontline workers are being trained to monitor compliance, with dashboards tracking metrics statewide. Critics point to past implementation gaps, but officials insist stricter monitoring will plug leaks.
For patients like 62-year-old Ram Devi from Gorakhpur, who underwent free heart surgery last month, this means reliable care without fear of hospital pushback. As UP pushes for universal health coverage, these measures could set a national benchmark.
