Staff training begins for Ayushman Bharat rollout day after Cabinet nod
New Delhi: In a significant step toward implementing the Ayushman Bharat insurance scheme, the Delhi government has begun training key personnel responsible for the rollout of the programme. The training is focused on equipping staff to generate the golden cards for beneficiaries and handle the pre-authorisation process for medical treatments. This marks the start of a detailed preparation process to ensure a smooth and efficient implementation of the scheme.
The Delhi government has set in motion a comprehensive training initiative, with master trainers being prepared first. These trainers will then go on to instruct 6,000 other staff members, who will be directly involved in generating cards and managing medical claims under the scheme. Back-end staff are also undergoing specialised training to manage the essential task of pre-authorising medical procedures, ensuring that treatments are approved before they begin.
The scheme, which will benefit the poorest families in Delhi, is designed to provide health coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh for approximately 6.54 lakh families. A key feature of this rollout is that 4.5 lakh families with senior citizens aged 70 and above will also be included in the program. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta confirmed that the Delhi government would extend an additional Rs 5 lakh of coverage to eligible beneficiaries.
Under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, states are allocated a set number of beneficiaries based on which the Centre
shares the premium cost. Delhi, however, will initially cover more beneficiaries by paying the full premium for any additional families.
In a notable departure from the previous AAP government’s stance, which had opposed implementing the scheme, the BJP-led Delhi government has moved forward with this initiative. The AAP had preferred its own healthcare programs, including free treatment in government hospitals and free surgeries in selected private hospitals.
As the training process continues, the government is also working to create a beneficiary database. Plans are in place to eventually cover a broad range of individuals, including ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, and potentially transgender individuals, construction workers, and sanitation staff.
The rollout will begin under a trust model, where the state health authority will be responsible for directly purchasing services from empanelled hospitals. While the scheme may eventually transition to an insurance model, where the insurance company will be responsible for processing claims. authorising treatment, and fraud detection, this initial approach is expected to facilitate a faster implementation. With Delhi’s inclusion, only West Bengal remains the exception to the national scheme.
