SHILLONG, Aug 6: The state government has directed the Health Department to examine the causes of payment delays and claim rejections under the Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS), following concerns raised during a high-level review meeting held at the State Secretariat on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma chaired the meeting, which was attended by Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh and senior officials from the department.
Taking to social media after the meeting, the Chief Minister posted: “Directed the department to urgently examine the causes behind delays in payments and claim rejections, and to take corrective measures in order to ensure that the scheme is implemented efficiently and transparently to serve the best interests of every resident of Meghalaya.”
The move comes amid rising public complaints over rejected claims and delays in reimbursements under the MHIS, a flagship health insurance programme intended to provide cashless treatment to citizens across government and empanelled private hospitals.
Launched in 2012, the MHIS is aimed at achieving universal health coverage in the State. It is integrated with the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, allowing beneficiaries to avail coverage of up to Rs 5.30 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.
In Meghalaya, MHIS covers a broad range of services, including maternity care, major surgeries, and chronic disease treatment, with enrolment open to all residents, irrespective of income.
Wednesday’s directive signals a renewed push from the government to restore public trust in the scheme and improve its delivery. Officials in the Health Department are now expected to conduct a department-wide audit of operational bottlenecks, particularly at the level of empanelled hospitals and third-party administrators.
The government has not yet released a timeline for the internal review but indicated that corrective measures will follow swiftly to ensure the scheme functions as intended, offering accessible, cashless healthcare to the people of Meghalaya.
