Free Hospitalisation : Is it true ?

*Free Hospitalisation : Is it true ?* 

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana has been launched. Some people claiming it is "Free Hospitalisation". What's the truth ?

This is an insurance policy nor a free hospitalisation scheme.  

In this, a tender will be there where insurance companies will apply. Government officials will decide which insurance company will get tender. It will boost power of government employees who will decide tender. 

Insurance company will definitely charge money from government ; insurance company's premium earning is guaranteed. Insurance company will not provide coverage for free. It is the government who will pay public money to insurance company for insurance premium. So, this will ensure earnings for the insurance company as it will earn crores of premium through tender winning. 

Now, comes hospitalisation. The payment of claims are decided by terms of the policy. The policy does not says that there will be free hospitalisation. There are terms and conditions. Insurance company will decide whether the charges for hospitalisation incurred by citizen will be paid or not to be paid.  Claim payment is never guaranteed ; it depends on terms of policy and how insurance company interprets the terms of policy. 

Hospitals will also be able to earn money because people would get themselves admitted in the belief that they will get paid by insurance company or on belief that it is free and customers would even opt for excessive charges of hospitals and customers would stop bargaining with hospitals. This will give a chance to hospitals to charge exorbitant amounts.

This entire transaction shows these : 1. Enhanced power of government employees who will decide the tender. 2. Insurance company will earn crores of rupees in one go without going through hassles of reaching out to customers. This amount is assured for insurance company ; so earning for insurance company is guaranteed by payment for premium. 3. Public money will be used for paying insurance premium [insurance company will not provide coverage for free]. 4. Whether insurance claim will be paid or will not be paid will be decided when the hospitalisation occurs or whether hospitalisation has occurred or not will also be decided later, mostly according to discretion of insurance companies. 5. Hospitalisation would probably not be free because hospitals will charge money for admitting or when there is delay in cashless approval or when final approval for claim is delayed or approval has come for less amount in which case differential amount has to be paid by the citizen. 6. Hospitals will also be able to make money because customers will become careless in the belief that their expenses will be paid by company or on belief that everything is free.