The Union government’s flagship health insurance scheme has marked its eighth anniversary, benefiting approximately 600 million people since its launch. This data was released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday.
Modi Celebrates Eight Years of Ayushman Bharat Scheme
Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked the eighth anniversary of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (AB-PMJAY), launched in 2018, through a social media message. He emphasized that the initiative aimed to ensure every Indian has access to high-quality and affordable healthcare. “Today, more than 60 crore (600 million) beneficiaries have access to Rs. 5 lakh annual health cover, making it the largest healthcare scheme in the world,” he stated on X.
The health ministry highlighted Ayushman Bharat as the “world’s largest publicly funded health assurance scheme.” Union Health Minister JP Nadda also commented on the scheme’s impact, noting its significance extends beyond mere statistics. He pointed out that it protects families from heavy medical expenses and allows patients to receive timely treatment without financial worries.
“From expanding healthcare access to reducing financial barriers to treatment, Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY stands as a landmark of India’s commitment to ensuring affordable and accessible healthcare for all,” the health ministry added.
Additionally, the National Health Authority (NHA), responsible for the scheme’s implementation, is working on Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY 2.0, which aims to enhance scalability and integrate deeper digital solutions, according to a prior statement from the health ministry.
“Initial years were good but later, as scope of the scheme increased, funding issues started cropping up. The scheme needs a review in terms of over lay, package rates, and expanding target population. At the moment, it isn’t very lucrative for the private sector hospitals.
The money usually isn’t reimbursed in the mandated 15 to 30 day period; and may take up to three to four months also.
The policy makers need to start serious dialogues with the serving hospitals,” said Dr Rakesh Gupta, member, Association of Healthcare Providers of India (Chhattisgarh chapter).
