As we all know, the government launched a fully-funded healthcare program known as Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) scheme. The primary purpose of establishing this scheme was to help the poor, and vulnerable people in India have access to adequate healthcare facility, as and when required.
For all the families entitled under the PMJAY scheme will be provided health coverage of up to INR 5 Lakh every year. As of now, this coverage has been provided to over 10 crore families across the country (approx. 50 crore individuals).
Ever since the launch of the scheme, over 65 lakh people have been treated under the PMJAY scheme. According to the reports, as of November 2019, over INR 9549 crores have been spent for the treatment of the people under this plan.
However, not all states have adopted the benefits that this program offered. States such as Delhi, Telangana, Odisha, and West Bengal have opted out of the scheme. The Health Ministry of India stated that over 20 thousand hospitals (public as well private) had been empanelled under the PMJAY scheme.
The coverage provided under this plan covers you for a majority of diagnostics, medicines, and pre-hospitalisation illnesses and expenses. Also, the beneficiaries can avail cashless and paperless facilities, as and when needed.
However, not everyone is eligible to avail of the benefits provided under the PMJAY scheme. The families that qualify for the same are identified by the Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 (SECC 2011).
The eligibility criteria are different for rural and urban areas. The primary difference between the two is as follows –
- In the rural area, the eligibility is dependent on the person’s living conditions, income, and other deprivations
- In the urban area, the eligibility is mainly reliant on one’s occupation
Lastly, if you and your family members are identified as eligible under the program, you can move on to the PMJAY registration process. After successful registration, every individual of the family will be issued an ecard, which further allows you to avail the benefits under the scheme.
To Sum It Up!
With the rise in work-life imbalance, the need for adequate health insurance has increased. However, most people in India are reluctant to purchase a health insurance plan because of high premium charges. This government-funded scheme was thus launched so that the vulnerable families across the country have access to quality health services.
In the end, health is a crucial aspect of our lives, and it cannot be compromised. Any medical issues arising should be addressed immediately. With AB-PMJAY scheme, the objective is to provide quality health facilities to the underprivileged families that cannot afford to avail the same otherwise.
