Ayushman Bharat Yojana: The Union Health Ministry has proposed to double the insurance cover of Ayushman Bharat Yojana, increase the number of beds in private hospitals and increase the number of beneficiaries.
The Union Health Ministry has proposed to double the insurance cover under Ayushman Bharat Yojana to Rs 10 lakh and Rs 15 lakh for women. The proposal has been prepared by the Group of Secretaries (GoS) on the Social Sector and has been included in the key priorities of the Union Health Ministry for the next five years. The ministry also plans to increase the number of beds in private hospitals. Currently, there are about 7.22 lakh private hospital beds under Ayushman Bharat, i.e. Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. It is proposed to increase it to 9.32 lakh by 2026-27 and 11.12 lakh by 2028-29.
Ayushman Bharat Yojana, also known as Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), currently provides an annual insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per family. The scheme covers about 55 crore people of the country, which is 40 percent of the total population. According to the new proposal, the insurance cover will be increased to Rs 10 lakh per family, and in case of special diseases, this cover can be up to Rs 15 lakh for women. Along with this, a target has been set to increase the number of beneficiaries from 55 crore to 100 crore.
Recommendations will be sent to the Finance Ministry
According to a report by the Indian Express, this proposal is based on the recommendations of the committee constituted under the chairmanship of NITI Aayog member VK Paul. Based on the report of the committee, this proposal will be formalized and sent for approval from the Finance Ministry and the Cabinet.
The BJP considers the Ayushman Bharat scheme as one of the successes of the NDA government and the party’s manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections this year promises to extend its coverage to all citizens above the age of 70. Various groups of secretaries have been tasked with mapping the goals from the BJP’s ‘Sankalp Patra’ and incorporating these into the election timelines. Earlier this year, a panel was set up to evaluate the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme and reduce fraud. The panel is expected to submit its report within a month.
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