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Ayushman Bharat Near Collapse in Himachal as Pending Hospital Payments Touch ₹198 Crore
Ayushman Bharat in Himachal Pradesh is on the verge of shutting down as pending payments soar to ₹198 crore. Private hospitals have already withdrawn, government facilities are struggling, and the state seeks higher central funding to keep the scheme alive.
Ayushman Bharat Scheme in Himachal Pradesh on the Brink of Collapse
Pending payments under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme in Himachal Pradesh have climbed to ₹198 crore, putting nearly 5.32 lakh registered families in a state of uncertainty. The centrally sponsored scheme provides health coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family for economically weaker sections, but hospitals empanelled under the programme are struggling to sustain services.
Most private hospitals had already stopped providing treatment under the scheme months ago due to unpaid dues. Now, even government hospitals are finding it difficult to offer cashless care, particularly for patients requiring high-cost medicines or specialised medical equipment.
Health department officials pointed to a structural “flaw” in the funding model that has pushed the programme to the brink. One senior official explained, “The Centre runs the scheme with the state government on a 90:10 funding pattern. However, while the Centre has capped its annual contribution at ₹50 crore, the actual yearly expenditure under the scheme is between ₹110 crore and ₹115 crore.”
He added, “If the Centre contributes ₹50 crore and the state around ₹5 crore, who will cover the remaining ₹55–60 crore?”
To revive the scheme, the state government has urged the Centre to either increase its fixed contribution or follow the 90:10 ratio based on actual expenditure. The official noted that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu raised the issue with Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda during the recent Northern Zonal Council meeting in Faridabad.
Meanwhile, Himachal’s fully state-sponsored HIMCARE scheme—designed to offer cashless treatment of up to ₹5 lakh to families not covered under Ayushman Bharat—is also under heavy strain. Pending payments under HIMCARE have reached ₹398 crore, and service delivery has become uncertain.
A doctor at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital said, “These schemes have enabled many chronic patients to afford long-term treatment, especially those covered under Ayushman Bharat. These programmes are invaluable, and governments must ensure they continue smoothly.”
