Hyderabad, May 22 -- Starting Wednesday, private super speciality hospitals in Andhra Pradesh will not provide cashless treatment to patients below the poverty line under the state government's Arogyasri health scheme in protest against non-clearance of their dues to the extent of Rs.1500 crore pending since August last year, people familiar with the matter said.

In a letter written to the Arogyasri Trust on Monday, Andhra Pradesh Speciality Hospitals Association (ASHA) said apart from patients being covered under Arogyasri, the private hospitals would also stop providing subsidised treatment to the state government employees under Employees Health Scheme (EHS).

The association said, despite several reminders, the government hasn't reim...