Ayushman Bharat Scheme

Ayushman Bharat Yojana or Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) or National Health Protection Scheme is a national scheme that aims at making necessary interventions in primary, secondary and tertiary health-care systems, in a holistic fashion. It was launched in 2018, under the aegis of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in India.

• Ayushman Bharat encompasses two complementary schemes, Health and Wellness Centres and National Health Protection Scheme. Health and Wellness Centres are envisioned as a foundation of the health system to provide comprehensive primary care, free essential drugs and diagnostic services, whereas National Health Protection Scheme is envisaged to provide financial risk protection to poor and vulnerable families arising out of secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to the tune of five lakh rupees per family per year. Indeed, the dream of achieving UHC or health for all has been a long-standing one for India.
• The National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS) scheme is formed by subsuming multiple schemes including Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana, Senior citizen health Insurance Scheme (SCHIS), Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Employees’ State Insurance Scheme (ESIS), etc.
• The National Health Policy, 2017 has envisioned Health and Wellness Centres as the foundation of India’s health system which the scheme aims to establish.