Three more private hospitals have agreed to implement the Mizoram Health Care Scheme following an appeal by the state government, an official statement said on Wednesday.

The three hospitals are Maraland Gospel Centenary Hospital in south Mizoram’s Siaha town, Mercy Hospital in Serchhip town and DM Hospital in Champhai town near the Myanmar border, the statement said.

With the addition of these three, 16 private and Church-sponsored hospitals have agreed to implement the scheme.

These hospitals will levy charges from patients based on the notified rate made by the state government.

Earlier this month, the state government had suspended empanelment of 15 private hospitals for refusing to implement the healthcare scheme.

While the government pushed to use its notified rate for patient charges, private hospitals insisted they should be allowed to use their existing rates and that the government should provide medical reimbursement permissible to the patients, who are treated in private hospitals through the healthcare scheme.

The government had rejected the plea because all beneficiaries are entitled to full medical care.

The healthcare scheme was implemented across the state on October 1, under which beneficiaries are provided annual health insurance cover of upto Rs 2 lakh.

The scheme will cover those below poverty line and above poverty line families not covered under Ayushman Bharat — Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and family members of government employees who are not entitled to medical assistance. Beneficiaries who receive treatment outside the state can also claim reimbursement, including conveyance.

The scheme will also cover almost all diseases, including OPD and dialysis.

The state government is planning to merge the state healthcare scheme with Ayushman Bharat — Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, health minister R. Lalthangliana had said.

Champhai North legislator and health and family welfare board vice-chairman Z.R. Thiamsanga said the government had deposited Rs 200 crore as corpus fund for implementation of the healthcare scheme. With bank interest, the government has Rs 202 crore corpus.

Apart from this, the government also allocated Rs 20 crore for implementation of the healthcare scheme under its flagship programme — Socio-Economic Development Policy (SEDP), which will cover six months, he said.

He said the government would review the notified rate for patient charges if necessary.