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Government to drop 500 existing health packages, include 250 new ones

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Government to drop 500 existing health packages, include 250 new ones

The discontinued packages include renal angioplasty with single stent (medicated) and eversion of hydrocele sac — unilateral.

A year after the rollout of the ambitious Ayushman Bharat scheme, the government has decided to undertake some key changes, including discontinuation of around 500 existing packages, inclusion of around 250 new ones and revision of rates to rationalise the popular health insurance scheme, top official sources told TOI.

The discontinued packages include renal angioplasty with single stent (medicated) and eversion of hydrocele sac — unilateral. The list of procedures, which will now be part of the scheme, include right/left heart catheterisation and DJ stent removal.

Price revision includes both upward and downward revision. Package rates for coronary artery bypass grafting and tympanoplasty have been increased, meaning hospitals are likely to get a better price for these procedures under the scheme. On the other hand, some package rates have also been slashed, including external fixation for both bones of forearms.

The price increase in some cases is to the tune of 250%, a source said.

There are also a few procedures which have been discontinued under the scheme to avoid overlapping with other national schemes. However, child deliveries, cataract and dialysis — which account for a large number of hospitalisations and were therefore under the scanner initially — continue to be part of the scheme, another official said.

The decisions were taken at a recent governing body meeting of the National Health Authority.

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