Why in News?
The Government of India marked the 8th anniversary of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), highlighting its role in expanding healthcare access and reducing the financial burden on vulnerable sections, in pursuit of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
About Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY
- Launch: 23rd September 2018, to advance universal health coverage by providing affordable and quality healthcare, particularly to vulnerable sections.
- Coverage: Public health assurance scheme covering secondary and tertiary healthcare services with cashless treatment of up to ₹5 lakh per family annually.
- Reach: As of 21st September 2026, over 48.51 crore people had received Ayushman cards, covering nearly 33% of India's population.
- Impact: Treatment worth ₹2.03 lakh crore supported through around 13.25 crore hospital admissions across a network of over 38,000 empanelled hospitals (as of 31st August 2026).
- Procedures: Cashless treatment for 1,961 procedures across 27 medical specialities.
The Four Pillars of Ayushman Bharat
1. AB PM-JAY (Health Insurance/Assurance)
- Funding Pattern: Centrally Sponsored Scheme with 60:40 Centre-State ratio for most States.
- 90:10 for North-Eastern States, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir.
- 100% central funding for UTs without legislatures; 60:40 for UTs with legislatures.
- Budget: ₹9,500 crore estimated for 2026–27.
2. Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) — Primary Healthcare
- Second pillar of Ayushman Bharat; upgraded from existing health facilities to deliver comprehensive primary healthcare.
- Services include screening/management of non-communicable diseases, oral, eye and ENT care, mental healthcare, first-level emergency and trauma care, and free essential medicines and diagnostics.
- Integration of AYUSH services (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Homoeopathy).
- Connected through e-Sanjeevani telemedicine to district, state and national hospitals.
- Cumulative footfall of over 540 crore people.
3. Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) — Digital Health
- Launched in September 2021 to create an integrated, citizen-centric national digital health ecosystem.
- Built around ABHA IDs (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) — digital health identities enabling secure linking of health records, insurance claims and medical history.
- Key Components:
- Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR): National registry of verified doctors and AYUSH practitioners.
- Health Facility Registry (HFR): Unified database of hospitals, clinics, labs and pharmacies.
- Unified Health Interface (UHI): Open digital network for discovering services and booking consultations.
- Aarogya Setu 2.0: Unified platform for digital health services and Personal Health Records (PHRs).
4. PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM)
- Launched in October 2021 (Budget 2021-22) with an outlay of ₹64,180 crore (2021–2026).
- Key targets:
- 23,224 rural health and wellness centres in 10 high-focus States.
- 13,736 urban health and wellness centres across all States.
- 3,389 Block Public Health Units in 11 high-focus States.
- 744 Integrated Public Health Laboratories across all districts.
- 631 Critical Care Hospital Blocks in districts with population over 5 lakh.
Beneficiary Identification
- Rural: Based on Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 deprivation criteria — poor housing, no earning adult, female-headed households without adult males, disabled members without able-bodied adults, SC/ST households, landless labour households.
- Urban: Based on 11 occupational categories — ragpickers, domestic workers, street vendors, construction workers, sanitation workers, artisans, transport workers, etc.
Recent Expansions
- March 2024: Coverage extended to ~37 lakh families of ASHAs, Anganwadi Workers and Helpers; over 44.81 lakh cards issued.
- 2024: All citizens aged 70 years and above covered (~6 crore senior citizens); over 1.36 crore Ayushman Vay Vandana cards issued.
Convergence with Other Schemes
| Scheme | Beneficiary Group |
|---|---|
| PM-RAHAT | Road accident victims |
| SMILE | Transgender persons |
| PM CARES for Children | Children affected by COVID-19 |
| NAMASTE | Sanitation workers and waste pickers |
| PM-JANMAN | Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) |
| BOCW coverage | Building and Other Construction Workers |
Significance
- Reduces catastrophic health expenditure and out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE).
- Shifts healthcare from a disease treatment approach to a comprehensive healthcare ecosystem spanning prevention, treatment and digital innovation.
- Advances SDG 3.8 (Universal Health Coverage) and reflects the welfare state's Directive Principles obligations (Article 47 — duty to raise nutrition and public health).
PYQs
Prelims (2017): Which of the following are the objectives of 'National Nutrition Mission'?
- To create awareness relating to malnutrition among pregnant women and lactating mothers.
- To reduce the incidence of anaemia among young children, adolescent girls and women.
- To promote the consumption of millets, coarse cereals and unpolished rice.
- To promote the consumption of poultry eggs.
Ans: (a) 1 and 2 only
Mains (2021): "Besides being a moral imperative of a Welfare State, primary health structure is a necessary precondition for sustainable development." Analyse.
Mains Practice Question
> Ayushman Bharat has transformed India's healthcare system from a disease treatment approach to a comprehensive healthcare ecosystem. Discuss.