36 Crore Beneficiaries Verified Under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY Scheme

New Delhi : As of November 30, 2024, a total of 36 crore beneficiaries have been verified under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri-Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), the flagship health insurance scheme launched by the Indian government. Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, shared this information in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

The scheme, aimed at providing health cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization, continues to benefit millions of families in India. In addition to the beneficiary verification, the scheme has authorized over 8.39 crore hospital admissions, amounting to over Rs 1.16 lakh crore in medical expenses. This has helped beneficiaries save significantly on out-of-pocket hospitalization costs.

Launched to provide health coverage to economically vulnerable populations, AB PM-JAY currently covers approximately 55 crore beneficiaries from 12.37 crore families, making it one of the world’s largest public health insurance programs. The scheme targets the bottom 40% of India’s population, ensuring access to quality healthcare for those who need it most.

Several states and union territories have integrated their own health insurance schemes with AB PM-JAY, expanding coverage to over 18 crore families. Notably, in March 2024, 37 lakh families of ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, and Anganwadi helpers were also included in the program.

In a significant expansion, on October 29, 2024, the government extended the scheme’s benefits to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, providing them with free treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh annually, regardless of their socio-economic background. The move is expected to cover around 4.5 crore families, corresponding to an estimated 6 crore senior citizens under the scheme.