Kerala once again wins the Arogya Manthan award 2023, for providing free medical care to the maximum number of people

A statement from Veena George, the state's health minister, stated Kerala has received the Arogya Manthan award 2023 for delivering free medical treatment to the greatest number of people. The National Health Agency is hosting an event called Arogya Manthan 2023 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Center's flagship programme, Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri. AB PM-JAY (Jan Arogya Yojana)

Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhati, the state-run health insurance programme aligned with AB PM-JAY, was recognised as having the greatest beneficiary usage. Kerala got the award for the finest service provision for the blind beneficiaries of KASP by implementing treatment cards in Braille, in addition to the prize for the State that offered free medical care to the most people under KASP (scheme usage). According to the announcement, Kerala has won the Arogya Manthan award for the greatest scheme usage for three years running. 

The prize is a recognition of the State government's tireless efforts to offer everyone access to free medical care, as per Ms. George. She said that through KASP and related programmes, the government has offered free medical treatment worth $3,200 crore during the previous two years. Thirty thousand thousand treatment claims were processed in two years for free care for 13 lakh KASP beneficiaries. Even though the NHA only contributed 151 crore as its part under KASP the previous year, the State was responsible for paying the remaining sum in full. Out of the 42 lakh KASP beneficiaries, over 20 lakh currently receive treatment benefits that are totally covered by the State, according to the statement.

The State Health Agency is implementing KASP in Kerala, and has partnered with 613 public and private institutions to offer KASP participants free medical care. While the State takes satisfaction in having offered free care to as many individuals as possible under KASP, it has come at the expense of public hospitals, which are fighting to survive due to the huge claim reimbursement arrears that the government owes the institutions.

According to the most recent data presented before the Assembly by the Health Minister, the KASP backlog at public hospitals is a staggering $822.42 crore. In addition, the government owes 208.73 crore in claim reimbursement obligations to private hospitals. 

In addition to this, the CAG report states that Kerala has the most unresolved claims in the nation, totaling 985.28 crore from 8,43,790 claims. Private hospitals have said that they would no longer offer free care under KASP unless the government clears the outstanding payments, despite the fact that public hospitals, most notably the government medical institutions, are on the edge of bankruptcy due to the enormous unpaid dues.