Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM - JAY) was launched as per the recommendations of the National health policy. It 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 Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. 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 Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana 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.
• PM-JAY is the world’s largest health insurance scheme fully financed by the government 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.
• As on July, 2021, a total of 16.14 crore Ayushman cards have been issued to the scheme beneficiaries and 77,406 Health and Wellness Centres are operational across the country.