Over 1,700 hospitals, ranging from small to mid-level, are seeking to join the state’s flagship Health scheme,Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana(MJPJAY). The state recently announced its intention to expand the quota of participating hospitals from 1,000 to 1,200, intensifying the competition.
While the state has portrayed the hospitals’ eagerness as a sign of the scheme’s success and widespread impact, insiders suggest a different motivation. Sources said several hospitals perceive the scheme as a lucrative revenue stream, with annual earnings ranging from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 5 crore from treating patients under its coverage.
In this year’s budget, the state made an announcement stating that treatment limit for each family per year would be increased from Rs 1.50 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. Additionally, government said 200 new hospitals will be included in the scheme to expand its reach. While the financial approvals for the expansion are yet to come, the online applications have been pouring in, said Vinod Bondre, acting CEO of MJPJAY.
Of the existing fixed quota of 1,000 hospitals, 272 are government and the remaining private. Bondre said hospitals frequently join and exit the scheme. However, ever since the state announced plans to expand the scheme, there has been a notable surge of interest from hospitals.