The National Health Authority (NHA) has announced the Digital Health Scheme (DHIS) for stakeholders in the digital health ecosystem. The scheme aims to provide further support to digital health transactions in the country under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). Incentives under this scheme would be provided to hospitals and diagnostic laboratories as well as providers of digital healthcare solutions such as Hospital/Health Management Information System (HMIS) and Laboratory Management Information System (LMIS).
Under DHIS, eligible healthcare facilities and digital solutions companies will be eligible for financial incentives of up to Rs. 4 million based on the number of digital health records it will create and link to ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account). This incentive can be used by health facilities (hospitals and diagnostic laboratories) registered in the ABDM Health Facility Register (HFR) and meeting the eligibility criteria specified under the program.
Dr. R S Sharma, CEO, NHA said, “We believe this scheme will encourage more and more healthcare facilities and digital software companies to join ABDM to deliver patient-centric healthcare. Through this system of financial incentives, we encourage the adoption of digital health. Furthermore, we also include solution providers (HMIS/LMIS) in the incentive scheme to ensure the involvement of other healthcare facilities and facilitate the strengthening of the ecosystem. Incentives played a catalytic role in the early adoption of other citizen-centric schemes like UPI, TB case reporting, Janani Suraksha Yojana, etc.
Highlights of ABDM’s Digital Health Incentive Scheme are:
1. Incentives would be provided to the following entities:
1. Medical facility with 10 or more beds
2. Laboratory/radiological diagnostic centers
3. Digital Solution Companies (entities providing digital solutions with ABDM support)
4. Incentives will be provided based on the number of transactions linked to ABHA, i.e. digital health records created and linked to ABHA.
5. Digital Solutions Companies (DSCs) will receive an incentive of 25% of the incentive amount received by eligible healthcare facilities using their digital solutions.
6. For ABHA related transactions carried out by facilities not eligible for direct incentives (clinics/small hospitals/health cabinets/teleconsultation platforms etc.), an incentive would be provided to digital solutions companies.
For public sector facilities, the incentives will be added to the funds under the Rogi Kalyan Samiti. The estimated initial financial outlay of the incentive program is Rs. 50 crore for a period of six months starting January 1, 2023.
