Universal health care scheme appears to promise much

However, practical issues need to be thought through and addressed first

As a scheme, the Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission, informally dubbed “Modicare”, appears to be an excellent cashless mediclaim. As a portable family floater policy, it is without any restrictions, and covers almost all secondary care and most tertiary care procedures. It promises to cover pre-existing diseases right from day one and is a dream come true, especially for the elderly shunned by insurance companies. Besides, it will fully cover both pre- and post-hospitalisation expenses. However, some practical issues remain to be addressed. The scheme envisages the Centre bearing 60 per cent of the commitment while the states will have to underwrite the rest. Considering that the health of most state governments is precarious, it will add an onerous burden on the states to raise funds to meet its share of 40 per cent.

The success of “Modicare” also depends on a robust infrastructure and efficient institutional mechanism. At present, both are missing from the Indian public healthcare system. Although the poor are expected to be identified from the Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) database, doubts have been raised about its accuracy. Besides, the number of poor families is far in excess of 107.4 million. What would happen to the healthcare of those left out of the scheme? For want of inadequate attention to the fine print, “Modicare” could well turn out to be another “Obamacare”, a noble plan that floundered because of a faulty funding mechanism.

The Tribune, March 23