The Ayushman Vay Vandana scheme is struggling to find its feet in Nagpur, with just 22,610 of the district’s estimated 2,74,404 senior citizens aged 70-years and above enrolling, a coverage of barely 8.25%, states a reply to RTI query. The State Health Assurance Society shared the data with Advocate Sundeep Radhakrishna Badana, highlighting the poor penetration of the welfare schemes. A representation submitted to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare by Adv Badana has now flagged the problems piling up around the scheme, from Rs 103.19 crore in pending hospital dues and suspension of services at four private hospitals to restricted departmental empanelment and digital verification hurdles. It warns that senior citizens could be left in the lurch if hospitals cannot sustain cashless treatment or patients struggle to complete mandatory authentication.

 

The RTI response lists four private hospitals whose services under the scheme were temporarily suspended: Gillurkar Multispeciality Hospital and Research Centre and Meditrina Institute of Medical Sciences from November 18, 2024; Promarc Hospitals Pvt Ltd from October 1, 2025; and Safecure Hospital, Kamptee, from January 14, 2026. In his representation, Badana has flagged Rs 103.19 crore in pending reimbursements to hospitals in Nagpur district. He has warned that delayed payments put financial pressure on private hospitals and could affect their ability to continue cashless treatment. The fallout could hit hard the elderly patients as they may have already discontinued private health insurance after relying on the Government scheme. If hospitals stop accepting beneficiaries, patients could end up paying from their own pockets. The representation also points to selective empanelment. Some multispeciality hospitals have registered only certain departments, leaving specialties such as cardiology, neurology, neuro surgery, urology and oncology outside the scheme.

 

Being treated at an empanelled hospital, therefore, does not necessarily mean every department is covered. For senior citizens, the verification process can be another stumbling block. Aadhaar-based e-KYC, biometric and face authentication may prove difficult for those with age-related physical limitations, particularly during emergencies. Adv Badana has sought emergency treatment even when digital authentication cannot be completed. The representation records 90 treatment-denial cases in Nagpur between July 2012 and April 2025, 87 at private hospitals and three at public hospitals. Between September 2024 and May 19, 2026, Nagpur hospitals submitted 1,863 portability claims worth Rs 8.96 crore for beneficiaries from other States. Of these, 1,611 claims worth Rs 7.25 crore were paid, with an average settlement period of 90 days. Adv Badana has sought clearance of pending dues, revision of package rates and a reduction in portability claim settlement time from 30 days to 15 days.