Private hospitals refuse to accept Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka cards

BENGALURU: The Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka health scheme, which provides free treatment to BPL card holders and 30 per cent rebate for APL card holders for treatment, seems to have no value. A reality check conducted by Public TV revealed that private hospitals simply refuse to accept the  Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka cards.

The central government has implemented the Ayushman Bharat Health Card for the benefit of the poor, and the cardholders should get free treatment in private hospitals too. Also, APL card holders should get treatment at a discount. However, patients going to private hospitals for treatment with the card are sure to face trouble as they are not accepting the card.

Public TV conducted a reality check by visiting four private hospitals in Bengaluru and everywhere, the response to whether the Ayushman card is accepted was that it was not on their list. Despite stating that there was a medical emergency the hospitals refused to accept the Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka cards.

In the first hospital, a Public TV reporter asked a private hospital whether the health card was accepted and asked a staffer to check the list stating he had some medical emergency. After a while, the hospital staffer said ‘No’, and was requested to check again as the ‘patient’ had a heart issue. The staffer then asked the reporter if he did not have private insurance and firmly stated that the Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka health card was accepted.

Public TV asked the same question at a second hospital and the staffer said that the health card was earlier on the list, but the service was not available now and refused to accept it.

In the third hospital, the staffer said the government health card service was not accepted and was stopped long back. In the fourth hospital, a hospital staffer gave the same reply, “We are not accepting the Ayushman card. We know, but here it is not there. Check at another branch; we don’t have it”.

By refusing the government health scheme, private hospitals are denying specialised treatment to the BPL families while pushing business for private insurance companies. However, the government is yet to take cognisance of the issue and act against the hospitals refusing the accept the government health cards.