In response to recent reports regarding the de-empanelment of 25 hospitals in Nagaland under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) scheme, the Nagaland Health Protection Society (NHPS), Department of Health and Family Welfare, has issued a clarification to ensure transparency and prevent any misinterpretation of facts.
The NHPS clarified that a total of 26 hospitals in the state have been de-empanelled under the AB PM-JAY scheme to date. Of these, 22 are government hospitals, including Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs), and 4 are private hospitals.
Explaining the reasons behind the de-empanelment, the NHPS stated that the 22 government hospitals, which were initially empanelled in 2018/2019, served primarily as community awareness and outreach centres for beneficiary identification and card generation. These hospitals were considered empanelled under PM-JAY but had very low to no inpatient hospitalization rates. Due to the increased awareness of the scheme and the resulting lack of utilization in these public facilities, they were de-empanelled during the FY 2023/2024.
Regarding the 4 private hospitals, the NHPS clarified that they voluntarily withdrew from the scheme, and as a result, were de-empanelled. However, the NHPS reassured the public that all four private hospitals have since been re-empanelled under both PM-JAY and the Chief Minister Health Insurance Scheme (CMHIS) following the launch of CMHIS in 2022.