National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS)

What is the National Health Protection Scheme?

The NHPS PMJAY scheme offers every Indian citizen an insurance cover of ₹5 Lakhs. Additionally, it offers a wide range of medical services to over 50 Crore Indians. It was  launched in 2018 and is now referred to as the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. The NHPS PMJAY scheme covers over 1,393 medical procedures and has a wide network of public and private empanelled hospitals, and a range of sponsored programs. The scheme aims to benefit over 10 Crore rural, economically weaker families. Additionally, it also targets those belonging to lower socio-economic backgrounds in the urban setting. 

The Ayushman Bharat NHPS or the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) focuses on maternal as well as child services. It prioritizes women, senior citizens, and children of India. Under the Ayushman Bharat NHPS, Indian citizens are offered health coverage of ₹5 Lakh. Moreover, it covers over 50 crore residents of India with affordable medical services.

The prime objective of the Ayushman Bharat NHPS is divided into two categories. Take a look below to understand the diversified objectives of the plan.

Objectives of the National Health Protection Scheme

• To decrease the out-of-pocket expenditure of every resident of India.

• To provide the citizens with quality medical services as well as medications.

Before your AB-NHPS registration in India, you must know the numerous features of the scheme to make an informed decision in the future. So, let’s look at the features of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana.

Why Should You Opt for the NHPS Scheme?

• The out-of-pocket medical expenses account for 62.6% of the total healthcare expenditure in India, which is reported to be the highest in the world

• In India, public health expenditure was 1.28% of the GDP in the fiscal year 2018, which is quite low in comparison to many other nations in the world

• The NHPS scheme in India can ensure extensive healthcare coverage to more than 10.74 crores vulnerable and poor families that form the bottom 40% of the Indian population

• The government health insurance plan aims to help mitigate high expenditure on healthcare which forces nearly 6 crore Indians into poverty every year

Salient Features of NHPS Scheme

• It covers the primary healthcare needs of the beneficiaries by transforming sub-centres and primary health centres into Health and Wellness Centers

• It offers coverage to the vulnerable and poor population of India and covers 1,393 medical procedures

• The NHPS scheme enables the beneficiaries to choose from a public hospital and empanelled private hospitals as per their convenience and requirements

• It consists of the current health sponsored programs like Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme

Advantages of the National Health Protection Scheme

• National Health Protection Scheme or NHPS in India provides the beneficiaries with a definite cover of ₹5 Lakhs every year

• The beneficiaries can avail the cashless benefits either in public hospitals or empanelled private hospitals

• The cashless benefits offered by the scheme include the investigation, pre- and post-hospitalisation expenses as well as any pre-existing disease

Who Benefits Under NHPS?

• The NHPS scheme aims at covering over 10 crores poor and deprived rural families

• It targets the recognised occupational categories of urban worker’s families like sweepers, peons, delivery persons, and so on

• It covers every member of the family irrespective of their age and the size of the family

• All eligible families listed in the SECC database are covered under the NHPS policy

How Will NHPS be Implemented?

• The NHPS scheme offers flexibility to various states to choose their mode of implementation of the plan.

• Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission Agency can establish and coordinate the mission at a national level with ease.

• State Health Agency is established at the state level or the union territory level. SHA is a new entity to achieve the main purpose of the scheme.

• While the Central Government bears 60% of the health insurance premium, the remaining 40% is shared by the State Government.

• The generated funds are moved to the SHAs through secured accounts by the AB-NHPS.

Apart from NHPS, the RSBY scheme provides financial assistance to needy families as well. The minor similarity between the two plans confuses a majority of beneficiaries. So, let’s take a look at the difference between the two policies:

National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS) Vs Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY)

Health Insurance Plans Available on Bajaj Markets