Over 9.19 crore hospital admissions facilitated under Ayushman Bharat since 2018

New Delhi, Oct 16 (PTI) Over 9.19 crore hospital admissions for treatment worth Rs 1,29,386 crore have been facilitated under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme since its inception in 2018, with dialysis being the topmost availed procedure, official data showed.

According to the National Health Authority's (NHA) annual report 2024-25, over 40.45 crore Ayushman cards were issued till March 31, covering 14.69 crore families.

Haemodialysis (14 per cent) has been the most availed treatment, followed by multiple packages (7 per cent), treatment for acute febrile illness (4 per cent), acute gastroenteritis and cataract and related procedures (3 per cent).

According to the report, 31,005 hospitals -- 55 per cent public and 45 per cent private -- were empanelled, ensuring nationwide accessibility of the scheme.

Eighty-two per cent of beneficiaries are from rural areas, with 94 per cent having Aadhaar-verified cards, ensuring authenticity and inclusivity, the report stated.

The AB PM-JAY is a centrally-sponsored scheme, with costs shared between the Central and State governments. Recently, Odisha and Delhi have been onboarded for the implementation of AB PM-JAY.

Except for West Bengal, 35 states and Union Territories are now under the AB PM-JAY umbrella. These states have converged their respective specific health protection initiatives with AB PM-JAY to provide cashless healthcare coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family annually to eligible beneficiaries.

Initially launched to cover 10.74 crore families identified under SECC 2011 and RSBY, AB PM-JAY was revised in 2022 to 12 crore families, accounting for the country's 11 per cent decadal population growth, the report said.

Further strengthening its inclusivity, the 2023 interim budget announced the inclusion of 37 lakh families of frontline workers such as Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHAs), Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs) into PMJAY.

In October 2024, the Union Cabinet approved the expansion of Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY to include all citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of income or socio-economic status.

This initiative benefits approximately 4.5 crore families (approximately 6 crore senior citizens) by providing up to Rs 5 lakh per year in health coverage, distinct from family coverage, the report said.

According to it, as of March 31, 2025, AB PM-JAY covers 15.14 crore eligible families and an additional 8.57 crore state-specific schemes families, equivalent to more than 80 crore.

The report further mentioned that 76.5 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA) have been created under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, with 51.3 crore health records linked, covering six in 10 Indians.

The ABHA App Version 3 has been launched in 13 languages, featuring user-centric design, scan and share, and scan and pay modules, thereby simplifying OPD registration and payments. PTI PLB NSD NSD