Page 13 - Insurance Times July 2023

He said that if the law was amended, 12 per cent of them have been
Implement Ayushman
it could offer value-added services like empanelled. Medical experts say the
Bharat Arogya Karnataka its 'vitality' - designed to improve poli- rates are “just not sustainable".
health insurance: CM cyholders' health. "We can attach that Dr Govindaiah Yatheesh, president,
to life insurance products if the law
Siddaramaiah changes. We offer a personal care Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes
Association (PHANA) said the
Chief minister Siddaramaiah di- management service from Medix,
“nonviability” of providing quality
rected the health department to which provides consultation from the
healthcare under the scheme is a big
implement the Ayushman Bharat best doctors worldwide. We also offer
turn-off, while Dr Alexander Thomas,
Arogya Karnataka health insurance teleconsultation with doctors through
president, Association of Healthcare
immediately which he said is cur- Practo on some of our products," said
Providers-India (AHPI), said hospitals
rently only in “assurance mode”. Tahilyani.
are “unhappy with the terms of the
He said only beneficiaries have been Tata AIA has bounced back after slip-
scheme” and only a small percentage
enrolled and there are no details on ping down to 17th rank among insur-
of private hospitals are seeing patients
what empanelled hospitals will cover ers a decade ago to being among the
under the scheme.
for which treatment. top five in FY23. "In terms of retail
annualised premium earnings (APE), Dr Pavan Patil Gadag,managing direc-
At a review meeting of the depart-
we have climbed to the third spot," tor and minimal access surgeon at NB
ment, Siddaramaiah said officials
said Tahilyani. He added that the com- Patil Hospital, one of the few hospitals
must study the Tamil Nadu and
pany had managed the shift by focus- that treats patients under the scheme,
Rajasthan models of the scheme.
ing on protection. said, “Sadly, the government does not
Earlier, Siddaramaiah was critical of
hear service providers’ views while
the department’s efforts to
Jagannathan, quits Star implementing these schemes. Hospi-
modernise government hospitals tals incur losses because of the low
Health Insurance
under the National Health Mission
rates.” Dr Gadag, who is also public
(NHM) and questioned whether V Jagannathan, the 78-year-old
relations officer of Indian Medical As-
they in-tended to drive patients founder of Star Health Insurance - the
sociation, Karnataka chapter, said the
away to private hospitals. “Do you country's first standalone health insur-
hospital treats over 600 adult and 200
ance player - has exited the company
want patients in government hospi-
neonatal patients a year under the
that he set up in May 2006.
tals or not?” he asked.
Jagannathan, who resigned from his scheme.
He directed officials to ensure MRI
role as non-executive chairman, plans Dr Thomas says that under the
machines and dialysis units are in-
to set up a new venture.
scheme, almost everybody gets free
stalled in all taluk and district hospi-
"There are a lot of avenues. I will treatment. “Ideally, those who can,
tal in the state and asked senior of-
finalise and announce my plan shortly," should make co-payment.”
ficials to immediately recruit lab
Jagannathan told. Last month,
technicians and paramedical staff. Getting government doctors to issue
Jagannathan, who was the company's
He also directed the finance depart- referral letters leads to collisions be-
chairman and CEO since its inception,
ment to provide the necessary re- tween government and private
had handed over the day-to-day opera-
quirements. healthcare systems. There have been
tional responsibilities as planned to
Earlier, Siddaramaiah was briefed instances where patients have died
Anand Roy, who is now CEO & MD.
that under the NHM, there is a 52 while family members were made to
per cent shortage of specialised doc- run from pillar to post. Public health
Pvt hosps give govt health
tors, a 31 per cent shortage of activists say in other states, patients
insurance the cold shoul- can just walk into private hospitals and
MBBS doctors, and an 18 per cent
shortage of nurses. To this, der, say rates too low get treated under the scheme. They
Siddaramaiah said the department say Karnataka must follow suit.
The response from private hospitals to
should consider increasing their re-
the government’s much-hyped Arogya Dr Sylvia Karpagam, public health doc-
munerations and take a decision to
Karnataka health insurance scheme tor and researcher from Bengaluru,
fill these vacant posts.
has been lukewarm at best, as only 10- feels the model should be scrapped.
The Insurance Times July 2023 13