Hyderabad: The Telangana government has decided to increase the rates for treatments under the Rajiv Aarogyasri Health Scheme by 20 to 22 percent. They have also added 163 new procedures to the scheme. This will increase the health assurance coverage from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh per family. These changes will add an extra burden of Rs 600 crore on the government.
Two separate government orders were issued on Monday to announce the increase in procedure rates. At a press conference at the Secretariat, Health Minister C Damodar Raja Narsimha explained that this decision was made after ten years. “We want to make Telangana the health capital of the country. Let’s strengthen the health sector of Telangana,” said Raja Narsimha, as he handed over the order copies to Private hospital associations.
The Minister mentioned that there has been a demand to revise the rates and procedures in the Rajiv Aarogyasri Trust for the past ten years. A committee was formed to suggest changes. This committee consulted specialists from various hospitals, including Gandhi, Osmania, NIMS, and private hospitals. They proposed adding 163 new procedures to the Rajiv Aarogyasri Health Scheme to benefit more people and extend healthcare coverage. On average, the rates were increased by 20 to 22 percent, costing the government an additional Rs 40 crore.
The Minister also shared that the committee recommended revising the rates of 1,375 out of 1,672 packages. This revision will result in an additional expenditure of Rs 438 crore. The government aims to spend Rs 5 to Rs 6 lakh on every family in the state, considering the high cost of certain procedures.
Govind Hari, General Secretary of the Telangana Hospitals Associations, expressed gratitude for the rate increase. He mentioned that they had been requesting this change for many years. He noted that even the CGHS has not increased rates. He praised the Telangana government for being the first in the country to make such a decision. “All hospitals are extremely thankful and grateful for what has happened today. All networking hospitals in the Rajiv Aarogyasri Health Scheme will serve patients in the state with quality care and international standards, keeping them very happy,” said Govind Hari.
