PM Modi Highlights Record Savings on Medical Expenses Under Ayushman Bharat
Ayushman Bharat marks eight years with over 48.5 crore Ayushman cards issued and 13.25 crore hospital admissions supported under AB-PMJAY.
NEW DELHI, Sept 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday highlighted the reach of Ayushman Bharat as the flagship healthcare programme marked its eighth anniversary, saying more than 60 crore beneficiaries have access to annual health coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh.
In a post on X, Modi said the scheme was launched in 2018 with the objective of making quality and affordable healthcare accessible to people across the country. He said the programme had helped reduce the financial burden associated with medical treatment.
The government said AB-PMJAY had, by September 21, issued more than 48.51 crore Ayushman cards, representing about 33 per cent of India’s population. As of August 31, the scheme had supported 13.25 crore hospital admissions involving treatment worth Rs 2.03 lakh crore through more than 38,000 empanelled public and private hospitals.
Union Health Minister J P Nadda said the figures represented the scale of the healthcare programme and its role in providing financial protection to families requiring hospital treatment.
Nadda said more than 13 crore people had already received treatment under the scheme and described the expansion of coverage as part of efforts to develop an accessible and affordable healthcare system.
AB-PMJAY was launched on September 23, 2018, as the financial protection component of Ayushman Bharat. It provides cashless hospitalisation cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family annually for secondary and tertiary care.
The broader Ayushman Bharat framework also includes Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission. These programmes focus on primary healthcare, digital health services and strengthening medical infrastructure.
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have expanded the primary healthcare network, with the official portal reporting 1,87,136 functional centres as of September 23, 2026.
The latest government figures also show that AB-PMJAY has contributed to efforts to reduce households’ direct healthcare spending. The Health Ministry has said the scheme’s cashless treatment model is intended to protect eligible families from significant hospital expenses.
The programme has expanded over the years, including the addition of senior citizens aged 70 years and above irrespective of their socio-economic status. The expansion was approved in 2024 and provides eligible senior citizens with health coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per year.
The eighth anniversary comes as the government continues to combine publicly funded hospitalisation coverage with primary healthcare facilities, digital health infrastructure and investments in the wider health system.
