Hyderabad: The Rajiv Aarogyasri Health Care Trust CEO Uday Kumar on Tuesday appealed to all empanelled private hospitals to continue their vital partnership under the Rajiv Aarogyasri scheme, which remains the backbone of health security for over 99 lakh BPL (Below Poverty Line) families in the state.

Uday Kumar informed that after the formation of the new government on December 7, 2023, the health coverage under the scheme was doubled from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh per family per year. Additionally, 163 new high-cost procedures were added. On the request of private network hospitals, 1,375 procedure package rates were revised, adding an additional budget commitment of Rs 487.29 crore to the scheme.

The CEO stated that the government has prioritised the timely settlement of dues, leading to a record-high average monthly payout of Rs 95 crore in the financial year 2024–25, the highest ever under the scheme. In the same period, total claim payments cleared amounted to Rs 1,779 crore, demonstrating tangible action to address outstanding payments and strengthen trust with partner hospitals. To resolve all pending claims, phase-wise monthly payments of Rs 75 crore are being made for the period from December 2023 to December 2024, a considerable increase compared to the Rs 57 crore monthly average released from 2014 to November 2023. The government has also enhanced payments to private hospitals to Rs 100 crore based on their representation.

In a call to continue serving, the CEO said the government was sincerely requesting all empanelled hospitals to continue providing quality healthcare services, reassured by these significantly enhanced and regularised payments. He stressed that the state was firmly committed to addressing hospital concerns and ensuring no poor person in Telangana is ever denied healthcare for want of money.