Context: Recently, Union home minister Amit Shah launched the 'Ayushman CAPF' scheme for personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces and their families. The scheme was launched at the CRPF group centre in Guwahati, Assam.

About Ayushman CAPF

• It ‘is a convergence scheme being implemented on Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY IT platform.
• A joint initiative by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Health Authority, which will provide cashless healthcare services to the serving CAPF personnel from all seven forces, viz. Assam Rifles, BSF, CISF, CRPF, ITBP, NSG and SSB, and their dependents through Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY IT platform.
• Under this scheme, around 28 lakh personnel of CAPF, Assam Rifles and National Security Guard (NSG) and their families will be covered by 'Ayushman Bharat: Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana' (AB PM-JAY).
• This initiative will help in moving away from any paper-based manual process of availing healthcare benefits by CAPF personnel and their families to a paperless service at NHA's IT platform.

Need for Ayushman CAPF

• The government is committed to serve and take care of those serving the country and making our soldiers Ayushman is the priority of the government.
• There are three major problems faced by security forces, which included lack of a comprehensive plan for healthcare, very low housing satisfaction ratio and extra duty hours due to delay in new recruitments.

Eligibility 

• Serving personnel and their dependents from Assam Rifles, Border Security Force (BSF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), National Security Guard (NSG), and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) will be covered under the scheme.
• No restrictions on family size, age or gender.
• All pre–existing conditions are covered from day one.
• Covers up to 3 days of pre-hospitalization and 15 days post-hospitalization expenses such as diagnostics and medicines.
• Benefits of the scheme are portable across the country.
• Services include approximately 1,393 procedures covering all the costs related to treatment, including but not limited to drugs, supplies, diagnostic services, physician’s fees, room charges, surgeon charges, OT and ICU charges etc.
• Public hospitals are reimbursed for the healthcare services at par with the private hospitals.

Key features

• Comprehensive coverage of OPD, IPD and follow-ups
• Cashless treatment at empaneled private hospitals
• Portability to ensure access to health services across the country
• Paperless to ensure ease and convenience
• Dedicated call center for support and grievance redressal
• Well defined set of health benefits packages
• Pan India expansion of the scheme will be done in phased manner