Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana & NFSA Integration | 15 Feb 2022

For Prelims: Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011, National Food Security Act (NFSA) portal, Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY)

For Mains: Government Policies & Interventions, Central Sector Schemes, Health, Human Resource, Intended Benefits of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana & NFSA Integration

Why in News?

Recently, the Union Health Ministry has said that the National Health Authority (NHA) is working to integrate the database of Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 beneficiaries with the National Food Security Act (NFSA) portal.

What is NHA?

  • The National Health Authority (NHA) has been constituted as an autonomous entity under the Society Registration Act, 1860 for effective implementation of PM-JAY in alliance with state governments.
    • Inter-alia, this will include, formulation of AB PMJAY policies, development of operational guidelines, implementation mechanisms, coordination with state governments, monitoring and oversight of AB PMJAY amongst other.
  • The State Health Agency (SHA) is the apex body of the State Government responsible for the implementation of AB PM-JAY in the State.

What are the Intended Benefits of this Proposal?

  • Integrating Fair Price ShopsWith Health: The proposal will allow NHA to use Fair Price Shops or ration shops for providing information related to the scheme and entitlement under the scheme to eligible beneficiaries.
  • Developing More Service Points: This will provide an additional avenue to beneficiaries along with the existing Common Service Center for card creation.
    • This will make the beneficiary identification process very convenient.
  • Common Identity Enabler: Aadhaar being a common identity across the majority of government databases will enable this integration.
    • Further, Aadhaar also ensures certainty regarding beneficiary identification through e-KYC.
    • e-KYC enables paperless delivery of services in a targeted manner.
  • Cross-Platform Integration: The NHA will collaborate with various ministries implementing welfare schemes to strengthen the different aspects of scheme implementation including beneficiary awareness campaigns, beneficiary database (SECC 2011) enrichment etc.
  • Towards Universal Health Coverage: The vast ambition of the AB-PMJAY programme presents an opportunity to pursue the systemic reform that India requires to meet its Universal Health Coverage (UHC) aims.

What are the Major Provisions of AB PM-JAY?

  • AB PM-JAY offers a sum insured of Rs.5 lakh per family for secondary care as well as tertiary care, under a cashless and paperless access to health services framework.
  • Under PMJAY, cashless and paperless access to services are provided to the beneficiaries at the point of service.
  • Health Benefit Packages covers surgery, medical and day care treatments, cost of medicines and diagnostics.
    • Packaged rates (Rates that include everything so that each product or service is not charged for separately).
    • They are flexible, but they can’t charge the beneficiary once fixed by the hospitals.
    • The scheme also has prescribed a daily limit for medical management.
  • It is an entitlement-based scheme that targets the beneficiaries as identified by latest SECC data.

What are the Main Features of the NFSA 2013?

  • Objective: To provide for food and nutritional security in the human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantities of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity.
  • Coverage: 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population for receiving subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
    • Overall, NFSA caters to 67% of the total population.
  • Major Provisions:
    • 5 Kgs of foodgrains per person per month at Rs. 3/2/1 per Kg for rice/wheat/coarse grains.
    • Meal and maternity benefit of not less than Rs. 6,000 to pregnant women and lactating mothers during pregnancy and six months after the child birth.
    • Meals for children upto 14 years of age.
    • Food security allowance to beneficiaries in case of non-supply of entitled foodgrains or meals.
    • Setting up of grievance redressal mechanisms at the district and state level.

Source: TH