Kochi: Several private hospitals are set to discontinue the treatment they were offering under the Ayushman Bharat-Karunya scheme from December 1.
The decision was announced by 194 hospitals under the Kerala Private Hospitals Association (KPHA). The association's president Hussian Koya Thangal said that private hospitals are yet to get more than Rs 50 crore in treatment dues for the past three months.
Under the Karuyna scheme, the treatment costs are to be paid by Reliance Insurance. But the KPHA office-bearers said that the insurance company has informed them that it can't honour the claims since the government has not paid the insurance premium.
Until March next year, Rs 560 crore has to be paid in premium. Out of the total amount, the state government has to pay 40 per cent and the remaining 60 per cent by the central government.
The government has only paid Rs 90 crore as the first instalment. "Reliance Insurance has informed us that they have already paid treatment claims that are higher than this amount and they won't honour our claims until the next instalment of the premium is paid," said KPHA treasurer Dr E K Ramachandran.
