Ahmedabad cracks down on hospitals charging Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries

Authorities in Ahmedabad have penalised 24 hospitals for illegally charging patients covered under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, the flagship health insurance scheme aimed at providing free treatment to economically vulnerable families.

Officials said the hospitals were found to have collected money from beneficiaries despite being empanelled under the scheme, which prohibits any additional charges for procedures covered by the programme. Following an inquiry, penalties amounting to ₹36.84 lakh were imposed on the erring institutions.

Health department officials noted that inspections and audits were conducted after complaints from patients and irregularities detected during routine monitoring of claims submitted by hospitals.

Data from the district health authorities shows that strict action has been taken against hospitals violating the scheme’s norms over the past two years. During this period, 49 empanelled hospitals were suspended for irregularities, though 20 of them were later reinstated after corrective measures were taken.

The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, a key component of the Ayushman Bharat programme, provides health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family annually for secondary and tertiary care. Officials said enforcement actions would continue to ensure that beneficiaries receive cashless treatment as mandated under the scheme.