Ayushman Bharat Yojana is a prominent scheme initiated by the Government of India, following the recommendations of the National Health Policy 2017. Its primary objective is to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the core principle of ensuring that no one is left behind. The fundamental purpose of Ayushman Bharat is to transform the existing approach to healthcare service delivery, moving away from a fragmented and sectoral approach towards a comprehensive model that is based on the needs of individuals. This scheme seeks to implement groundbreaking interventions that address the entire healthcare system, including prevention, promotion, and ambulatory care, across all levels of care – primary, secondary, and tertiary. Ayushman Bharat is a transformative initiative that endeavours to bridge the gaps in India's healthcare system and ensure that every individual, regardless of their socio-economic status, has access to quality healthcare services.
By adopting a comprehensive and need-based approach, this scheme has the potential to significantly improve the overall health and well-being of the population, contributing towards the realisation of the country's development goals. Ayushman Bharat adopts a holistic approach to healthcare, emphasising the continuum of care. This approach is comprised of two interconnected components. The first component is the establishment of Health and Wellness Centres at the primary level, which will provide a range of essential healthcare services, including preventive care, outpatient services, and diagnostics. These centres will act as the first point of contact for individuals seeking healthcare services. The second component of Ayushman Bharat is the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), also known as the National Health Protection Scheme. PM-JAY aims to provide financial protection to vulnerable and economically disadvantaged individuals and families by offering health insurance coverage. Under this scheme, eligible beneficiaries will have access to a wide range of secondary and tertiary healthcare services, including hospitalisation and specialised treatments.
Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) is a big plan by the Indian government to help poor and vulnerable families get medical treatment. It gives them health insurance of ₹ 5,00,000 per year for hospital stays. This plan is for over 10.74 crore families, which is around 50 crore people. The government pays for everything and both the Central and State Governments help with the plan. It started on September 23, 2018, in Ranchi, Jharkhand, and it is the biggest health insurance scheme in the world.
Each eligible family is provided cashless coverage of up to 5,00,000 per year by AB PM-JAY for the listed secondary and tertiary care conditions. The cover provided by the plan covers all costs associated with the following treatment components: medical examination, treatment, and consultation. Pre-hospitalisation, medication, and services for non-intensive and intensive care investigations that are diagnostic and laboratory, services for medical implantation if required accommodations advantages food delivery problems that develop during treatment follow-up care after hospitalisation for up to 15 days.
The benefits of Rs. 5,00,000 are family floater benefits, which means they can be used by any number of family members. There is no restriction on family size or member age under AB PM-JAY. Pre-existing conditions are also covered starting on the first day. Anyone who is eligible and has ever had a medical condition that was not previously covered by PM-JAY is now able to receive treatment under this programme for all of those conditions starting the day they sign up.
This is for people who live in rural areas, like in the countryside. It includes families who are from certain castes and tribes, families without a man between the ages of 16 and 59, people who beg for money or rely on others for help, families without anyone between 16 and 59, families with at least one person who has a physical disability and no adults who can work, families who don't own any land and work as manual labourers, certain tribal communities, people who were once forced to work for someone but are now free, families who live in small houses with no proper walls or roof, and families who work as manual scavengers.
This is a list of people who are allowed to get help or benefits. It includes people who live in cities, people who do laundry or guard buildings, people who collect and sell trash, people who fix things like cars or electrical problems, people who work in other people's houses, people who clean streets or gardens, people who make things at home or sew clothes, people who fix shoes or sell things on the street, people who do plumbing or construction work, people who carry heavy things or work in ports, people who work in transportation like driving or helping on buses, people who do small jobs like delivering things or working in stores, and people who work in restaurants.
Exclusions:
Those who possess a motorised boat for fishing or a two-, three-, or four-wheeler
Who are the owners of mechanised farming equipment individuals
Those who possess Kisan cards with a credit limit of Rs. 50,000
Individuals working for the government
Employees of non-agricultural government-run businesses
Any person making more than Rs. 10,000 per month in income
Anyone with a landline and a refrigerator
Who own decent homes that are well-built
Owners of agricultural land with a minimum of 5 acres
To apply for a PM-JAY e-card, people need to go to a hospital or a Community Service Centre (CSC) and follow some steps. The person helping them called the Arogya Mitra, looks for their name in a list of beneficiaries using different details like their name, location, ration card number, or mobile number. If they find the person's name, they check their ID documents, like an Aadhaar or a government ID, to make sure it's really them. They also check their family records using the ration card. After that, Arogya Mitra sends all the information to a trust or insurance company for approval. The trust or insurance company then decides if the person can get an e-card or not. If they approve, the person will get an e-card.
You should provide a document that shows whether your family lives together or separately (i.e. ration card). To prove your age and who you are, you need to show either your Aadhaar Card or PAN Card. You also need to provide proof of where you live, like a document that shows your address. It's important to give your contact details, like your phone number and email address. If you belong to a specific caste, you may need to show a certificate for that. If you or your family receive any income, you should have a certificate to prove it.
Government Schemes and policies can change or be replaced by new ones, so it's recommended to check with government or official sources to find out the latest information about Ayushman Bharat Yojana or any other similar scheme.
