Palakkad: Despite a surge in new applications, the state government has been unable to admit new members into its Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi (KASP). Since 2019, thousands of applicants have been waiting to join the scheme. The state government attributes this issue to the antagonistic stance of the Central government. The scheme used to enroll members based on a "one ration card, one member" policy. Those who received ration cards after 2018 have been tirelessly seeking inclusion in the scheme, with many of these applicants living in extreme poverty.

Currently, the scheme covers 42 lakh families. This includes those who renewed their Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) health insurance cards in 2018-19, individuals who received letters from the Prime Minister’s office confirming their beneficiary status, those deemed eligible based on the 2011 survey, and beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CHIS) and CHIS Plus schemes.

The Central government's contribution is limited to just 60 per cent of the 22 lakh families included in the first two categories. The state government, on its part, bears the remaining cost for these families as well as the entire cost for the additional 20 lakh families. As a result, what the state receives is just Rs 150 crore out of the Rs 1,500 crore required annually for the scheme.

Each family's share is set at Rs 1,052, with the Centre contributing Rs 631, or 60 per cent of this amount. The state government asserts that it cannot continue the scheme without the Centre increasing its share. Currently, the state owes around Rs 1,000 crore to various hospitals under the scheme, prompting several private hospitals to withdraw from partnering in the scheme.

The Centre, however, maintains that no new beneficiaries can be added to the scheme and that the share of Rs 1,052 cannot be increased further. The state insists that the scheme is on the verge of collapse if the Centre does not agree to provide more assistance. The state government also states that it has sent several letters requesting the inclusion of families holding Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) Priority ration cards in the KASP, though to no avail.

6.5 lakh receive treatment last year
The KASP was rolled out in 2019 following the Central government's announcement of the Ayushman Bharat project, which aimed to provide health insurance coverage for ordinary citizens. KASP was introduced by merging the Ayushman Bharat scheme with the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), CHIS, and CHIS Plus schemes. The program aims to provide free treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh per family in both private and government hospitals. In 2023-24 alone, 650,000 individuals received treatment under the scheme.