'Ayushman Bharat' Cards Issued in Bihar

• 11 Mar 2024

Why in News?

Recently, the Bihar Government has decided to provide "free medical treatment up to ₹5 lakh every year to all ration card holders of the state under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme.

Key Points

• Ayushman Bharat cards were issued to 1.03 crore families in just six days (till 11 am of March 8).
• All ration card holders covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 get 5 kg of rice, and can avail free treatment up to ₹5 lakh every year.
• According to data compiled by the state health department, the maximum number of Ayushman Bharat cards at 5,99,609 were issued in Siwan district in the six-day campaign, followed by 5,44,018 in Muzaffarpur, 5,00,292 in Patna and 4,72,977 in Madhubani.
• Districts where less than one lakh Ayushman Bharat cards were issued in the special campaign are Munger (99,984), Kishanganj (76,861), Sheikhpura (58,132) and Sheohar (47,288).

Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)

• PM-JAY is the world’s largest health insurance scheme fully financed by the government.
• Launched in February 2018, it offers a sum insured of Rs.5 lakh per family for secondary care and tertiary care.
• Health Benefit Packages covers surgery, medical and day care treatments, cost of medicines and diagnostics.
• Beneficiaries:
  • It is an entitlement-based scheme that targets the beneficiaries as identified by latest Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data.
  • The National Health Authority (NHA) has provided flexibility to States/UTs to use non- Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) beneficiary family databases with similar socio-economic profiles for tagging against the leftover (unauthenticated) SECC families.
• Funding:
  • The funding for the scheme is shared – 60:40 for all states and UTs with their own legislature, 90:10 in Northeast states and Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal and Uttarakhand and 100% Central funding for UTs without legislature.
• Nodal Agency:
  • 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.
  • The State Health Agency (SHA) is the apex body of the State Government responsible for the implementation of AB PM-JAY in the State.

National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013

• It was notified on 10^th September, 2013.
• Its objective is 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.
• It covers 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.
• Eligibility:
  • Priority Households to be covered under TPDS, according to guidelines by the State government.
  • Households covered under existing Antyodaya Anna Yojana.
• Provisions:
  • 5 Kgs of foodgrains per person per month at Rs. 3/2/1 per Kg for rice/wheat/coarse grains.
  • The existing AAY household will continue to receive 35 Kgs of foodgrains per household per month.
  • 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.