look news india
The countdown for the budget has begun. Then in this budget, the government's focus may be on healthcare. There may be a big announcement for about 17 crore people of the country in the budget. In which Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman can announce doubling the coverage limit of the Modi government's Ayushman Bharat scheme. With this, poor families can get free treatment up to Rs 10 lakh. Discussions are going on between senior officials and the government regarding this.
Nirmala Sitharaman can give a gift to 17 crore people
Under the Modi government's Ayushman Bharat scheme, currently free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh is available in the country. A proposal to double it has been submitted to the government. It is believed that in the budget to be presented on July 23, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman can give a big gift to about 17 crore people of the country by increasing the coverage limit.
The scheme covers all citizens above the age of 70 years
Under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, currently about 12 crore families of the country get free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh in government and private hospitals. The government believes that in view of the increasing cost of treatment, its coverage should also be increased. In such a situation, this coverage can be increased from Rs 5 to Rs 10 lakh in Budget 2024. Earlier, President Draupadi Murmu had included all citizens above 70 years of age in the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Doubling the coverage also increases the cost
Doubling the coverage under the Ayushman Bharat scheme will also increase costs. The National Health Authority estimates that increasing the coverage to 10 lakh will save the scheme's annual cost by Rs. 12,076 crore and entail an additional burden of Rs. 12,000 crore. However, the interim budget presented on February 1 allocated Rs. 7,200 crore, of which, in addition to Rs. 12,000 crore, the outlay on the scheme is estimated to be around Rs. 19,000 crore.
12 crore families connected with Ayushman Yojana
Under the Ayushman Yojana, about 12 crore families are connected across the country. Apart from this, as per the President's announcement, every citizen above 70 years of age will be included in it. This will increase the number of beneficiaries by 4 to 5 crores. This means that in the coming time, the total number of beneficiaries under the scheme will reach about 17 crores.