New Delhi: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday said that names of hospitals found involved in any kind of fraudulent practices in the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme will be put up on its official website to "name and shame" them.
Nearly 1,200 cases of fraud have been confirmed and action has been taken against 338 hospitals, he said, asserting that the government has zero-tolerance towards corruption.
"Not only would such hospitals found involved in any kind of fraudulent activity and practices would be de-empanelled, their names would be put up on the official website of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (Ayushman Bharat) and made public. The idea is to name and shame them," the Health Minister said at a press conference.
Vardhan further said that 376 hospitals currently are under investigation while the NHA has taken action in terms of issuing showcause notice, suspending, levying penalty and de-empanelling against 338 hospitals.
The Minister said that 97 hospitals have been de-empanelled from the scheme while FIRs have been lodged against six hospitals. "A total amount of Rs. 1.5 crore in penalty has been levied and nearly 1,200 cases of fraud have been confirmed," he said, adding, "All these figures show the government's zero-tolerance towards corruption and we have been able to detect all these frauds because of a proactive robust strong IT anti-fraud detection system." Present on the occasion, Indu Bhushan, CEO of the National Health Authority, the apex body responsible for the implementation of the centrally-sponsored scheme, said that the decision to publicly name the health insurance fraudsters under Ayushman Bharat was taken in collaboration with the IRDAI to deter them from indulging in malpractices."
"We are taking stern action against such fraudsters and have filed criminal cases and FIRs in some cases. In fact, we have suggested such hospitals should not only be de-empanelled from the PMJAY scheme but also from other schemes including that of CGHS and ECHA," Bhushan said.