2 months ago
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Maharashtra Health Minister Prakash Abitkar connected Monday (March 16, 2026) warned of "strict action", including FIRs, against hospitals recovered charging beneficiaries of state-run cashless wellness schemes, asserting that patients should not person to wage "a azygous rupee" for treatment.
The Minister informed the State Assembly that the authorities had examined astir 368 complaints astir hospitals charging patients covered nether wellness schemes and recovered penalties of ₹60 lakh truthful far.
There were respective complaints astir hospitals allegedly demanding further wealth from patients contempt attraction being covered nether the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya schemes, helium said.
"Under these schemes, attraction is meant to beryllium wholly escaped and cashless. If immoderate infirmary charges wealth from patients, strict enactment volition beryllium taken," helium warned, noting that 12 hospitals person already been delisted from the schemes aft they were recovered violating provisions.
Mr. Abitkar said that the integration of the State government's strategy with the Centre's Ayushman Bharat programme has expanded the scope of treatment.
Earlier, astir 1,356 ailments were covered, but the fig has present been accrued to astir 2,300, on with higher bundle rates for treatments, helium said, adding that each citizens covered nether these cashless schemes tin avail attraction up to ₹5 lakh.
The Minister further stated that the authorities is utilizing artificial intelligence-based monitoring to way complaints and observe suspicious activities by empanelled hospitals to amended transparency and curb irregularities.
He informed the House that district-level committees, headed by Guardian Ministers and comprising MLAs and officials, person been constituted to show the implementation and functioning of the schemes each 3 months.
Mr. Abitkar besides urged legislators to actively show hospitals successful their constituencies and study immoderate violations.
"If adjacent a azygous ailment is brought to our notice, enactment volition beryllium taken immediately," helium said, adding that the authorities whitethorn besides registry archetypal accusation reports (FIRs) against hospitals that repeatedly interruption rules.
The Minister reiterated that the wellness schemes were aimed astatine ensuring entree to prime attraction for the mediocre and communal citizens, and the authorities volition not tolerate exploitation of beneficiaries.
