Pvt hospitals to halt PMJAY services from Aug 16
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 05 2025: Private healthcare institutions across the state under the Association of Healthcare Providers of India (AHPI), Manipur Chapter, have announced suspension of services to beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) scheme starting from August 16, citing prolonged delays in reimbursement of claims.

Under the PMJAY scheme, beneficiaries are entitled to treatment services and facilities in empanelled hospitals, including private healthcare institutions up to Rs 5 lakh per year.

The decision followed a meeting held on July 30, during which AHPI members unanimously expressed concern over the mounting financial and operational stress caused by non-payment of pending dues under PMJAY .

All AHPI-affiliated private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres in the state will be affected by the suspension.

According to the AHPI, despite continuing to support the public health infrastructure through various crises, the inordinate delay in clearing the pending payments has made it unviable for institutions to continue offering services under the scheme.

"Treatments during the suspension period will be chargeable at standard institutional rates.

However, any amount collected from eligible beneficiaries will be refunded once pending reimbursements are released by authorities concerned," the association clarified.

The association also submitted a memorandum to the Governor on Monday highlighting the critical financial strain on private hospitals, particularly those empanelled under PMJAY and the Chief Ministergi Hakshelgi Tengbang (CMHT) scheme and making an urgent appeal to the Governor for immediate disbursement of the pending PMJAY dues to avoid further disruption of essential healthcare services.

In the memorandum, AHPI, Manipur Chapter, which represents 43 private healthcare establishments in Manipur, noted that while pending dues under the CMHT had been cleared following a meeting with the Governor on April 16, the PMJAY reimbursements, expected within a month, remain unpaid even after three months.

"This prolonged delay has severely hampered our ability to pay vendors for essential medicines and consumables, and to disburse staff salaries, jeopardizing our operational continuity," the memorandum stated.

AHPI also pointed out that private hospitals in the state conduct approximately 8,000 free haemodialysis sessions per month under government schemes, far exceeding those conducted by public hospitals, underscoring their vital role in the state's healthcare delivery.

The association reiterated its commitment to the public health system and expressed hope that the matter would be resolved swiftly in the interest of patients and the larger healthcare ecosystem in Manipur.

The decision to suspend healthcare services to PMJAY beneficiaries came nearly a year after the Manipur government suspended the CMHT (Chief Minister-gi Hakshelgi Tengbang) scheme in private hospitals, effective September 30, 2024 .

The decision, taken in a cabinet meeting of the then chief minister N Biren Singh, delisted most private hospitals from CMHT coverage, except for treatment of cardiology, neurology (including neurosurgery), kidney dialysis/renal transplant and cancer-related ailments.

The state government had cited the need to reassess empanelment and encourage use of public hospitals.

However, the decision was met with criticism from opposition parties and civil society, who raised concerns about the impact on economically vulnerable patients during a time of social unrest and strained public healthcare infrastructure.

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