It is the world’s biggest health insurance scheme. The Ayushman Bharat — Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is based on a seminal idea of universal healthcare that welfare states must offer. The scheme may cover about 40 per cent of the population to begin with. This rises way above politics and the seeking of electoral gains even if the targeted electorate comprises those who can make all the difference in who comes to power in India. The idea takes off on what Tamil Nadu introduced six years ago in J. Jayalalithaa’s regime as the chief minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme. If it avoids the pitfalls of red tape and petty bureaucracy denying rightful beneficiaries, the scheme will not only help energise insurance companies but also the government and empanelled private hospitals would enjoy the benefits of revenue flow from the Centre and states that have enrolled.
The concept of becoming a true welfare state may have been around for decades but India never ventured beyond providing essential food items for the poor. Again, it was a Tamil Nadu scheme floated by Kamaraj and then MGR that became the more universal student nutrition programme under the Noon Meal scheme that drew the appreciation of the world. Given the enormity of funds that drive such measures, they must be made efficient enough to prevent leakages while ensuring the benefits reach the intended targets. It is churlish then of five states — Telangana, Odisha, Kerala, Punjab and Delhi — not to have enrolled yet. The willingness of the system and the support staff to disseminate information about the scheme widely would ultimately determine if a majority of the sick and the unwell among the intended 50 crore people from the 10 crore poorest families get the benefit of proper healthcare. Call it “Modicare” or not, Ayushman Bharat is a great idea.
