New Delhi: The National Health Authority (NHA) has announced a digital health incentive scheme (DHIS) for the stakeholders of the digital health ecosystem. The scheme aims to give a further boost to digital health transactions in the country under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
The incentives under this scheme would be provided to hospitals and diagnostic labs and also to the providers of digital health solutions such as hospital/ health management information system (HMIS) and laboratory management information system (LMIS).
Under the DHIS, the eligible health facilities and digital solutions companies shall be able to earn financial incentives of up to ₹4 crores based on the number of digital health records they create and link to ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account). This incentive can be availed by the health facilities (hospitals and diagnostic labs) registered with ABDM’s health facility registry (HFR) and fulfilling the eligibility criterion specified under the scheme.
Elaborating on the same, RS Sharma, chief executive officer, NHA, said – “We believe that this scheme will encourage more and more healthcare facilities and digital software companies to come forward and join ABDM for providing patient-centric healthcare. Through this financial incentive scheme, we’re encouraging the adoption of digital health. Further, we’re also including solution (HMIS/ LMIS) providers in the incentive scheme so that they handhold other health facilities to come on board and facilitate strengthening of the ecosystem. Incentives have played a catalytic role in driving early adoption of other citizen centric programs such as UPI, notification of TB cases, Janani Suraksha Yojana, etc.”
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A senior officer of the NHA said that incentives would be provided to the health facilities having 10 or more beds, laboratory/radiology diagnostics centres and digital solution companies (DSC-entities providing ABDM enabled digital solutions). The amount of incentive would be calculated on the basis of the number of ABHA-linked transactions i.e. the digital health records created and linked to ABHA.
Hospitals would be offered ₹20 per transaction above the base level of 50 transaction per bed per month. Likewise, diagnostic facilities /laboratories would be doled out ₹15 per transaction above the base level of 500 transaction per month. DSCs will be given an incentive of 25% of the incentive amount received by the eligible health facilities using their digital solutions.
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For the ABHA linked transactions done by facilities not eligible for direct incentives (clinics/ small hospitals/ health lockers/ teleconsultation platforms etc.), an incentive would be provided to DSCs.
Similar incentives have been worked out for HMIS and LMIS companies. For public sector facilities, the incentives shall be added to the funds under Rogi Kalyan Samiti. The estimated initial financial outlay of the incentive scheme is Rs. 50 crores for a period of six months starting from 1st January 2023 onwards.
Further, public webinars would be organised by NHA starting from Dec 23, 2022 to provide detailed overview of the scheme. The schedule and link for the webinars will be available on the website https://abdm.gov.in/dhis.
