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New Delhi: Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday that all states and Union Territories across India, with the exception of West Bengal, have been onboarded for the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) as of March 26.
Nadda revealed that since its inception and up to March 1, 2025, over 8.9 crore hospital admissions, amounting to ₹1.26 lakh crore, have been authorized under the AB-PMJAY. He also stated that, as of March 20, over 10.21 lakh Ayushman cards have been created for Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and 14.47 lakh and 14.76 lakh cards for Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers, respectively.
As of March 1, 30,957 hospitals were empanelled under the scheme, including 13,866 private and 17,091 public hospitals. For the fiscal year 2024-25, till March 1, over 2.21 crore hospital admissions worth ₹34,954 crore were authorized under AB-PMJAY.
Nadda highlighted the ongoing enhancements to the scheme, including the expansion of the beneficiary base, the inclusion of new medical procedures, and the empanelment of new hospitals. He explained that the initial eligibility criteria were based on the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) of 2011, using six deprivation and 11 occupational criteria.
In January 2022, the beneficiary base was revised to 12 crore families, and states and UTs were granted flexibility to use other databases for verification. Several states have since expanded their beneficiary base using non-SECC data.
In March 2024, the eligibility was extended to include 37 lakh ASHA workers, Anganwadi Workers, Anganwadi Helpers, and their families. Further, in October 2024, the government expanded the scheme to provide free treatment benefits of up to ₹5 lakh per year to approximately six crore senior citizens aged 70 and above, regardless of socio-economic status.
The Health Benefit Package under AB-PMJAY has been revised five times since its launch. Initially covering 1,359 packages, it now includes 1,961 packages across 27 medical specialties. 365 new treatment procedures have been added, and the rates for 832 packages have been increased. High-end procedures like bone marrow transplants and cochlear implants are now included.
The national portal, dashboard, and analytical solution enable real-time monitoring, trend analysis, and fraud detection, strengthening scheme implementation, Nadda added.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is based on the statements made by the Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda in the Rajya Sabha. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, readers are advised to verify information from official government sources. The figures related to 2025, are based on the information provided, and may be subject to change.(https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/except-west-bengal-all-states-and-uts-have-been-onboarded-for-ayushman-bharat-scheme-nadda-101743156375384.html)
