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| Healthcare Accessible To All | | | Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), the flagship healthcare programme launched by the PM Modi led regime has completed eight years. More than 60 crore beneficiaries now have access to Rs 5 lakh annual health cover under this yojana, making it largest healthcare scheme in the world
The AB-PMJAY was rolled out on September 23, 2018, with the idea that every Indian should have access to quality and affordable healthcare and the idea has worked. The scheme has enabled record savings on medical expenses and has benefitted the poor and middle class.
According to the official figures more than 13 crore people have already availed treatment under the scheme, while hospitalisation and treatment worth more than Rs 2 lakh crore has been availed through over 39,000 empanelled public and private hospitals across the country. The numbers indicate the scale of implementation.
These figures matter because healthcare expenditure can push vulnerable families into debt or force them to postpone treatment. By providing cashless access to a wide range of hospital services, AB-PMJAY has sought to address precisely this problem. Government data also show a broader decline in the proportion of health expenditure paid directly by households, although this improvement cannot be attributed to one programme alone.
The larger Ayushman Bharat architecture goes beyond hospital insurance. Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are bringing primary healthcare closer to communities, while the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is creating a digital health ecosystem. Together with the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, these initiatives seek to strengthen healthcare from primary care to specialised treatment. More than 500 crore visits have been recorded at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, highlighting the growing emphasis on healthcare at the grassroots.
The next challenge is to ensure that expansion in coverage translates consistently into accessible, timely and quality treatment. Awareness among beneficiaries, adequate hospital capacity, availability of services in remote areas, prompt claim settlement and effective grievance redressal remain important to the programme’s long-term success. The government has established grievance mechanisms and portability provisions so that beneficiaries can obtain treatment even outside their home State or Union Territory.
Eight years of Ayushman Bharat therefore represent not merely the expansion of an insurance programme but an evolving attempt to make healthcare more financially accessible to millions. Its future success will depend on sustaining the reach of the scheme while continuously improving the quality, accountability and availability of healthcare services. Universal healthcare ultimately means not only having a health card, but being able to obtain the right treatment at the right time without suffering financial hardship. |
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