All You Need to Know about ‘Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) in 2018 in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Under the vision of Ayushman Bharat, the PM Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) has been implemented so that each and every civilian gets his due share of health care. The government, with Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan AarogyaYojana, is taking healthcare protection to a new aspirational level. It is important to mention that AB-PMJAY is the “world’s largest government funded healthcare program” with a target of more than 50 crore beneficiaries.

Benefits of Ayushman Bharat Yojana:

1. Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana will offer a cover of up to Rs. 5 lakhs / family / year, for secondary & tertiary care hospitalization.

2. More than 10.74 crore susceptible entitled families (nearly 50 crore beneficiaries) are eligible for these benefits.

3. PMJAY will grant cashless & paperless access to services for the recipient at the point of service.

4. It will help decrease catastrophic expenditure for hospitalizations that deprives people and will help lessen the financial risk coming out of catastrophic health episodes.

5. Entitled families can make use of the quality health services they want without facing financial hardships.

6. 1,350 medical packages covering surgical procedures, medical & day care treatments and cost of medicines & diagnostics.

7. Eligible beneficiaries can get the benefit of services across the country.

Features of Ayushman Bharat

1. Ayushman Bharat is a progression towards preventive, promotive, restorative, palliative & rehabilitative aspects of Universal Healthcare through access of HWCs, (Health and Wellness Centers) at the primary level & provision of financial protection for accessing remedial care at the secondary & tertiary levels through engagement with public & private sector.

2. The scheme adopts a range of care approach that comprises of 2 inter-related components - Creation of 1, 50,000 Health & Wellness Centres, which will bring health care closer to the homes of people.

3. These centres will grant you CPHC (Comprehensive Primary Health Care), covering maternal as well as child health services & non-communicable diseases that includes free important drugs and diagnostic services.

4. The 2nd component is the Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojana or PMJAY that gives health protection cover to the poor as well as vulnerable families for secondary & tertiary care.

5. The HWCs play a vital role in creating awareness about the PMJAY, testing for non-communicable diseases, follow-up of hospitalization cases etc.

The features of the scheme are given below:

• Financial protection from catastrophic expenditure - The 71st Round of NSSO or National Sample Survey Organization found 85.9 percent of rural families and 82 percent of urban households have no access to healthcare insurance or assurance. Over 17 percent of Indian population spends at least 10 percent of household budgets for the health services. A catastrophic healthcare related expense pushes families into debt. Around 10.74 crore identified families (50 crore beneficiaries) will be entitled to get the benefits and no cap has been put on the family size and age.

• Hospitalization cover from inpatient care to post hospitalisation care – The scheme will give coverage of up to Rs. 5, 00,000 / family every year, for secondary & tertiary care hospitalization via a network of Empanelled Health Care Providers (EHCP).

• PMJAY in alliance with the States - The scheme structure & formulation has undergone a truly central process, with stakeholder inputs collected from all States & UTs through national conclaves, sectoral working groups, intensive field exercises & piloting of key modules.

For more information visit the official government website - https://www.pmjay.gov.in/

They can also get assistance from a 24X7 helpline number – 14555.