Seven Years of Ayushman Bharat

General Studies Paper 2

Context

• Recently, the Ayushman Bharat, the world’s largest government-funded health assurance scheme, completed its seven years.

About the Ayushman Bharat

• It is a flagship health initiative, emerged from the National Health Policy 2017, and was launched in September 2018 from Ranchi, Jharkhand.
• It aims to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through two complementary components:
• Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY): It provides ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalization.
  • It covers over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families (approx. 55 crore beneficiaries, i.e. about 40% of India’s population based on SECC 2011).
  • It offers cashless and paperless access to services at public and empanelled private hospitals across India.
  • Benefits are portable nationwide, meaning beneficiaries can access services anywhere in the country.
• Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs): It aims to transform 1.5 lakh sub-centres and primary health centres into HWCs.
  • It focuses on comprehensive primary care, including screening for non-communicable diseases, maternal and child health services, and essential medicines.
  • First Ayushman Arogya Mandir inaugurated in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh.

Major Achievements in Last Seven Years

• Impact at Scale:
  • Over 55 crore beneficiaries have been reached since inception;
  • More than 10.3 crore hospital admissions authorized, translating to ₹1.48 lakh crore in cashless care;
  • 8 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs operate nationwide, delivering preventive and promotive healthcare;
  • Government health expenditure rose from 29% to 48%, while out-of-pocket cost dropped from 63% to 39%.
• Expanding the Beneficiary Base:
  • 2021: Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) was launched as the digital backbone of Ayushman Bharat, enabling the creation of a unique Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) IDs for every citizen.
  • 2022: Scheme expanded to cover 12 crore families;
  • 2024: ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, and their families were added;
• October 2024: Senior citizens above 70 years gained universal coverage via the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card;
  • Nearly 1 crore gig and platform workers are now being integrated into the scheme;

Looking Ahead

• As Ayushman Bharat enters its eighth year, the focus shifts to:
  • Strengthening digital health infrastructure;
  • Enhancing quality assurance through Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) and National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS);
  • Expanding preventive care and lifestyle disease management;
  • Improving state-level fund absorption and implementation capacity.