New Delhi, July 25 (UNI) Over 41 crore Ayushman cards have been generated under the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, informed the Lok Sabha today.
The flagship health insurance scheme has so far authorised more than 9.84 crore hospital admissions, amounting to over Rs 1.40 lakh crore. The scheme aims to provide financial protection for secondary and tertiary healthcare to the most economically vulnerable sections of the population.
Currently, a total of 31,466 hospitals have been empanelled under AB-PMJAY across the country. Of these, 14,194 are private hospitals, highlighting the growing role of the private sector in delivery of care under the scheme, said the Minister in a written reply.
In January 2022, the Government revised the beneficiary base under AB-PMJAY from 10.74 crore to 12 crore families, thereby extending coverage to the bottom 40% of India’s population. This marked a significant step toward broader inclusion, he added.
Further expansion was undertaken in March 2024, when eligibility was extended to include approximately 37 lakh Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs), and their family members. This move recognised the contribution of frontline health and nutrition workers.
As per the data, 10.45 lakh Ayushman cards have been issued to the families of ASHA workers, 15.01 lakh to AWWs, and 15.05 lakh to AWHs.
To cover more beneficiaries, the scheme has been extended to cover 6 crore senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of socio-economic status. These beneficiaries, representing nearly 4.5 crore families, will be provided coverage under the newly introduced Vay Vandana Card.
Since its launch in 2018, AB-PMJAY has emerged as one of the largest publicly funded health assurance schemes in the world, contributing significantly to India’s goal of universal health coverage, said the Minister.
