PRADHAN MANTRI SWASTHYA SURAKSHA NIDHI (PMSSN)

The Union Cabinet has approved the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi (PMSSN) as a single non-lapsable reserve fund for share of Health from the proceeds of Health and Education Cess levied under Section 136-b of Finance Act, 2007.

Salient features of the PMSSN

• A non-lapsable reserve fund for Health in the Public Account;
• Proceeds of share of health in the Health and Education Cess will be credited into PMSSN;
• Accruals into the PMSSN will be utilized for the flagship schemes of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare namely,
• Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)
• Ayushman Bharat – Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs)
• National Health Mission
• Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY)
• Emergency & disaster preparedness and responses during health emergencies
• Any future programme/scheme that targets to achieve progress towards SDGs and the targets set out in the National Health Policy (NHP) 2017.
• Administration and maintenance of the PMSSN is entrusted to Ministry of Health & Family Welfare; and
• In any financial year, the expenditure on such schemes of the MoHFW would be initially incurred from the PMSSN and thereafter, from Gross Budgetary Support (GBS)

Important Info :

Benefits: 

The major benefit will be: enhanced access to universal & affordable health care through availability of earmarked resources, while ensuring that the amount does not lapse at the end of financial year.

Background:

In the budget speech 2018, the Finance Minister while announcing Ayushman Bharat Scheme, also announced replacement of existing 3% Education Cess by 4% Health and Education Cess.

SOURCE: PIB