New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav on Friday said the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, or AB PM-JAY, has facilitated cashless treatment worth over Rs 1.91 lakh crore through more than 37,000 empanelled hospitals across the country.
He also said that AB PM-JAY was conceived in the spirit of ‘Antyodaya’ to ensure access to quality healthcare for the last person in the queue.
Addressing the National Health Authority’s two-day review meeting (‘Chintan Shivir’) on the implementation of AB PM-JAY and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), Jadhav said, “Every cashless treatment provided under AB PM-JAY reaffirms the commitment to the spirit of Antyodaya to ensure that the last person in the queue receives priority in accessing quality healthcare.”
Highlighting the achievements of the scheme over the past seven years, he said, “AB PM-JAY has facilitated cashless treatment worth over Rs 1.91 lakh crore through a network of more than 37,000 empanelled hospitals across the country, making it the world’s largest health insurance scheme.”
On the progress of digital health, Jadhav said, “The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission has laid the digital foundation for a future-ready healthcare system, with over 94 crore ABHA numbers created and more than 100 crore health records linked.”
“ABDM 2.0 should be measured not merely by the number of digital records created, but by the everyday difference it makes through seamless access to health records across states, easier discovery of nearby health facilities and deeper integration with AB PM-JAY, demonstrating the transformative potential of Digital India in healthcare,” Jadhav said.
The minister inaugurated the two-day review meeting being attended by senior officials from the Union Health Ministry, the National Health Authority (NHA) and states and Union territories to review the progress under the government’s flagship health programmes and chart the next phase of reforms.
During the inaugural session, Jadhav released the NHA’s annual report and compendiums of guidelines for the district implementation units, beneficiary empowerment and hospital empanelment modules aimed at strengthening implementation and standardisation across states.
NHA Chief Executive Officer Dr Sunil Kumar Barnwal said the Chintan Shivir series has emerged as an important platform for states and UTs to review progress, exchange best practices and address implementation challenges under AB PM-JAY and ABDM.
The digital architecture of the two flagship schemes has enabled their effective implementation across the country despite India’s diverse geographical and demographic landscape, Barnwal said.
He also stressed the need to strengthen state-level data analytics for evidence-based policymaking and encouraged the states and UTs to leverage emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to enhance healthcare delivery and programme implementation.
Barnwal also highlighted citizen-centric digital initiatives such as the upgraded Ayushman app, Aarogya Setu 2.0, Ayushman Sarathi and the National Drug Registry in improving access to digital health services.
He emphasised that the vast repository of data generated under PM-JAY has the potential to emerge as a valuable national health indicator by providing valuable insights into disease patterns across states, geographies and demographic groups, thereby enabling more targeted public health interventions and evidence-based policymaking.
The meeting reviewed the progress made under AB PM-JAY, including beneficiary coverage, service delivery, claims management and hospital empanelment, while identifying the priority areas such as saturation of eligible beneficiaries, Ayushman card generation, enrolment of ASHA and Anganwadi workers and accelerated implementation of the Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana.
It also reviewed the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, with discussions focusing on expanding digital health services, promoting interoperable digital health solutions and strengthening coordination between the Centre and the states.
