Since its launch in 2018, the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana has been providing health coverage of Rs 5 lakh to a vast population of over 500 million beneficiaries (Interim Budget 2024).
In the Interim Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman declared the expansion of health coverage within the Ayushman Bharat scheme to encompass all Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) and Anganwadi workers (Interim Budget 2024).
In her Budget speech, Sitharaman stated, “The healthcare coverage provided by the Ayushman Bharat scheme will now include all ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, and helpers.”
An ASHA worker is a community health worker employed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) as part of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), which commenced in 2005.
Conversely, an Anganwadi worker is a functionary of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) responsible for overseeing the management of Anganwadis.
Ayushman Bharat, a key initiative of the Indian government, was introduced in alignment with the recommendations of the National Health Policy 2017.
The aim is to realize the vision of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), addressing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and upholding the commitment to “leave no one behind.”
Launched in 2018, the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) extends health coverage of Rs 5 lakh to over 500 million beneficiaries, marking it as the “world’s largest government-funded healthcare program.”
PMJAY ensures cashless and paperless access to services for beneficiaries at the point of service (Interim Budget 2024). In the financial year 2023-24, a budget of Rs 7,200 crore was allocated for Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY.
