THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala, which is yet to take a final decision regarding joining the Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Scheme (AB-NHPS), has been offered by the Centre to include 21.5 lakh families as beneficiaries if the state joins the initiative.

With the Centre deciding to roll back the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) by April next year, the state is anticipating a major setback. The state wants all the beneficiaries enrolled under RSBY to be part of AB-NHPS if at all it decides to join the new scheme. This demand has been accepted in principle by Ayushman Bharat directorate.

At present 20.60 lakh families have been enrolled under RSBY in the state.

"What worries is the winding up of RSBY or merging of all central-sponsored health insurance schemes with AB-NHPS. If RSBY is extended for one more year, then we would be happy,'' said Rajeev Sadanandan, additional chief secretary of state health department.

The state has objected to several other clauses of the scheme as well. "The total control of the scheme will be with the Centre and hence the state government will have no say on the disbursement of the insurance amount to hospitals which are mpanelled under the scheme," he added.

However, Dinesh Arora, deputy chief executive officer of the AB-NHPS, while trying to allay such apprehensions, said: "Since the rollout of the scheme, over 47,000 people have already availed the benefits while over 92,000 have been given Gold cards. Claims to the tune of Rs 40 crore have already been submitted before us. We will release the funds within 15 days the claim is made," he said.

The state government is expected to take a final decision on joining the scheme soon. Odisha and Telangana are the only other states that have not signed the agreement for joining the scheme.