Hospitals refuse to provide cashless treatment to patients in Maharashtra

2,800 complaints received since the launch of helpline last year

The Maharashtra government has received more than 2,800 complaints from patients across the state since the launch of 24×7 helpline number in 2018 for the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY).

Sudhakar Shinde, chief executive officer (CEO) of MJPJAY said, the records showed 50 per cent of the complaints were regarding cardiac ailments and hospitals' refusal to provide cashless treatment to the patients.

“Nearly 50 per cent of the complaints were from Pune, followed by Mumbai and concerned refusal for cashless surgeries or angioplasty. The highest number of complaints were recorded from Pune at 1,745, followed by Mumbai 1,044,” said Shinde. The scheme aims to provide cashless treatment to the needy and poor. But it has been learnt that hospitals are violating the rules and refusing cashless treatment. “We will take strict action against the hospitals as they have been refusing patients who have the required documents to avail cashless treatment under the scheme,” said an official associated with the MJPJAY scheme.

Under this scheme, patients get Rs 1.5 lakh insurance coverage annually on a cashless basis, for 971 listed health issues. There are 492 hospitals which are supposed to provide free treatment to patients, for which the charges are paid by the insurance company. Around 90 per cent of Maharashtra's population — orange and yellow ration card holders — is eligible for the scheme.

Currently, the National Insurance Company is providing insurance for the MJPJAY at Rs 690 per family. Soon, the state government will invite tenders for the Rs 2,000-crore contract to select an insurance company to manage the scheme.