Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], August 19 (ANI): The Haryana government has assured that payments to empanelled hospitals under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and the state's CHIRAYU Yojana are being processed without delay, with priority given to smaller hospitals and healthcare facilities.

Responding to concerns raised by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Haryana, over alleged payment delays, the State Health Authority (SHA) said all pending claims are being cleared on time. Adequate funds have been sanctioned and received to settle dues, and claims submitted up to the second week of June 2025 have already been paid.

Since the inception of the scheme, more than Rs 3,050 crore has been disbursed to hospitals. For the current financial year 2025-26, around Rs 480 crore has been released by the Central and State Governments, which has been fully utilised for claim settlements. Between August 5 and August 18, Rs 200 crore has been disbursed, while an additional Rs 291 crore has been sanctioned and will soon be released to empanelled hospitals under the CHIRAYU Yojana, the SHA said.

The SHA clarified that all claims are processed through the National Health Authority's (NHA) online platform by a team of 60 doctors using a transparent allocation system. Queries are raised only in cases of incomplete documentation, such as missing vital charts, OT notes, or clinical images. Deductions are made strictly in line with NHA guidelines, and hospitals have the option to appeal through the Medical Audit Committee, it said.

On average, empanelled hospitals in Haryana are registering 2,500 pre-authorisations per day, with private hospitals alone raising claims worth nearly Rs 2 crore daily. The government has warned that denial of treatment or violation of scheme rules will attract strict action.

The Health Authority has also conducted surprise inspections across several empanelled hospitals to check irregularities in claim submissions, making it clear that any malpractice will be dealt with firmly under the rules. At the same time, the Haryana Government is strengthening its public health infrastructure. Most of the newly recruited doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff have been posted at district hospitals, with specialist availability increasing due to the state's postgraduate policy.

District hospitals are being equipped with modern biomedical equipment and advanced facilities, including dialysis, CT/MRI scans, cancer care, modern blood banks, and other tertiary services. The SHA stated that in the event of denial of services by private empanelled hospitals, public district hospitals are capable of handling the additional patient load, as evidenced by the recent rise in admissions under the scheme.

There are around 45 lakh eligible families in Haryana under Ayushman Bharat and CHIRAYU Yojana. (ANI)