Large-scale fake Ayushman Bharat card scam comes to light in UP
As part of a massive racket, scamsters are allegedly selling Ayushman cards for just Rs 1,200-1,500 a piece
A large-scale scam involving the creation of fake Ayushman Bharat cards seems to be thriving in Uttar Pradesh.
Ayushman Bharat cards are used to avail a slew of healthcare benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), launched in 2018.
Under the scheme, beneficiaries, who are selected based on the Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) database 2011 and certain occupational criteria, get medical cover up to ₹5 lakh annually for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation.
The scheme is jointly funded by the Centre and states in the ratio of 60:40, with the Union government allocating ₹7,500 crore to PMJAY this year.
Fake cards
According to sources, fake Ayushman cards are being sold to people in the state for just ₹1,200 to ₹1,500 apiece. What's important is that payments are being processed using these fake cards.
This fraud is allegedly running in connivance with private hospitals/nursing homes. The scamsters who produce the fake cards get the payment done by colluding with the concerned authorities, said sources.
The scam seems to be most rampant in Meerut district.
Scam comes to light
Sources said that the fraud was uncovered when an audio clip surfaced, in which people were heard discussing how they got a fake Ayushman card done and the method of obtaining payments through that card.
The audio clip revealed that fake Ayushman cards are prepared using Aadhaar cards. There are instances where Ayushman cards were made using the Aadhaar cards of individuals with similar names.
Private hospitals and nursing homes are also involved in this racket. They generate fake bills to get payment from the government, said the sources.
There are also cases where individuals apply to get their Ayushman cards and find to their dismay they already exist – only, others are using them.
How to check if card is genuine
You can go to the Jan Seva Kendra and the name in the 2011 Census list. Once you confirm that your name, address, father's or husband's name is correct, you can prepare an Ayushman card.
An Aadhaar card for biometric verification and ration card are necessary to get an Ayushman card.
Who can get Ayushman card?
People who have Antyodaya ration cards, daily wage earners, people from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes, Adivasi citizens and people from weaker income groups in rural and urban areas.
(This article first appeared in The Federal Desh.)
