Lok Sabha Question No. 3198 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-09
Subject: Coverage of Ayushman Bharat
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Dr. Bhola Singh

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOF HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3198 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09 TH AUGUST, 2024

## COVERAGE OFAYUSHMAN BHARAT

## 3198. DR. BHOLASINGH:

Will the Minister of HEALTHAND FAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) the current status of implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme including the number of beneficiaries and the geographical coverage achieved so far;
- (b) whether the Government has encountered any administrative issues/delays in the execution of this scheme and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to address these issues and improve the efficiency of the scheme; and
- (d) the steps taken to expand and enhance the Ayushman Bharat scheme?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a): Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is the largest publicly funded health assurance scheme in the world, which provides health cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to approximately 55 crore beneficiaries corresponding to 12.34 crore families, constituting the bottom 40% of India ' s population. As on 30.06.2024, more than 34.7 crore Ayushman cards have been created under the scheme and a total number of 7.37 crore hospital admissions worth Rs. One lakh crore have been authorized under the scheme. Further, a total of 29,281 hospitals including 12,625 private hospitals have been empanelled under the scheme. The scheme is implemented in 33 States/UTs except NCT of Delhi, West Bengal and Odisha.

- (b) to (d): The issues in the execution of the scheme are handled in an effective and timely manner. Several initiatives are taken to raise awareness and improve the efficiency of the scheme:
-  Aapke Dwar Ayushman, Card drives under PM-JANMAN, Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra (VBSY), Ayushman mobile app, Ayushman Bhava campaign etc. to quickly identify the beneficiaries and saturate the beneficiary base.
-  A three-tier grievance redressal system at District, State and National level have been created to resolve the issues faced by beneficiaries in utilizing healthcare services under the scheme. Beneficiaries can file their grievance using different mediums including web-based portal Centralized Grievance Redressal Management System (CGRMS), Central (toll free number 14555) & State call center, email, letter to State Health Agencies etc.
-  Flexibility has been provided to States for empanelment of hospitals, development of health benefit packages etc. to implement the scheme in the respective State.
-  Health benefit packages have been revised five times since the launch of the scheme. In the latest national master of the Health Benefit Package (HBP 2022), the scheme provides treatment corresponding to a total of 1,949 procedures under 27 different specialties.

Initially, 10.74 crore beneficiary families under AB PM-JAY were identified on the basis of the Socio-economic Caste Census (SECC) of 2011 using select deprivation and occupational criteria separately for rural and urban areas. In January 2022, the beneficiary base was expanded to 12.34 crore families. Further, many of the 33 States/UTs implementing AB-PMJAY have further expanded the beneficiary base at their own cost.

In March 2024, ASHAs, Anganwadi Worker and Helpers (AWWs and AWHs) working across the country were also included. Further, National Health Authority has collaborated with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for inclusion of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) families under the purview of AB-PMJAY.

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