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Odisha is preparing to join the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri – Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), a central government initiative that provides health coverage of ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation. This was confirmed by a senior official from the Health Ministry on September 23, 2024, who stated that some technical aspects of the integration with Odisha’s existing state-run health scheme are being addressed before the rollout.
Odisha’s Health Scheme and Central Integration
Odisha, which has been running its own state health program, will now operate this in parallel with the AB PM-JAY scheme. The cost-sharing arrangement between the Centre and the State will help facilitate the smooth implementation of the central scheme. Similar integrations have been undertaken in other states, including Bihar, which recently joined the scheme. “Many enrolments are coming in from Bihar,” said the Health Ministry official.
Other states, such as Punjab, are being engaged to resolve pending audit reports before they can fully participate in the scheme. As of September 2024, the scheme operates in 33 States and Union Territories, excluding Delhi, Odisha, and West Bengal.
Nationwide Scheme Implementation
AB PM-JAY is designed to cover a wide range of medical needs with cashless hospitalisation services, covering 1,949 medical procedures across 27 medical specialties, including general medicine, surgery, oncology, and cardiology. Forty-nine percent of Ayushman Bharat cards have been issued to women, and out of 7.79 crore hospital admissions, approximately 3.61 crore admissions have been utilised by women. Public healthcare accounts for 57% of the total utilisation under the scheme.
The program operates through a robust IT platform, ensuring a paperless and cashless service experience for beneficiaries. All pre-existing diseases are covered from day one under the scheme, with no limitations on family size, age, or gender. Beneficiaries also receive free drugs, diagnostics, and hospital services such as food and lodging.
Hospital Enrolment and Private Sector Participation
As of September 1, 2024, a total of 29,648 hospitals have been empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, including 12,696 private hospitals. The Health Ministry continues to expand the scheme, aiming to bring quality healthcare to all sectors of society, particularly in underserved areas. States like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Nagaland have integrated their state employee schemes with AB PM-JAY. Karnataka is in the process of integrating its Karnataka Arogya Sanjeevani Scheme with the National Health Authority’s IT platform.
The goal of the Ayushman Bharat scheme remains to offer comprehensive, cashless inpatient services to the poorest and most vulnerable citizens in India, further extending the reach of quality healthcare.
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