A look at India's healthcare journey on Ayushman Bharat Diwas
In India, April 30 is celebrated as Ayushman Bharat Diwas to uplift the ideals of the Government of India’s Ayushman Bharat –Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). It aims to make healthcare accessible and affordable. With this, around 50 crore economically backward Indian citizens can benefit from it.
AB-PMJAY was initiated by the Government of India in 2018 to provide affordable and accessible healthcare for marginalised sections of the country. Under the scheme, families eligible and registered under PMJAY receive health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 Lakhs annually. This coverage includes pre-hospitalisation expenses for three days, post-hospitalisation expenses for 15 days, and about 1350 medical procedures, including related costs.
The scheme ensures that eligible citizens are provided with top-notch medical facilities at thousands of empanelled private and government hospitals via their Ayushman card or e-card.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the beneficiaries of AB-PMJAY are also provided with financial cover for the testing and treatment of COVID-19. The respective State Governments will cover costs for treating AB-PMJAY beneficiaries in both public and private hospitals.
An Ayushman Mitra is a certified frontline healthcare professional who is present at each hospital or healthcare centre that is empanelled under AB-PMJAY. They serve as the first point of contact for the beneficiaries of this scheme.
These individuals are appointed under an employment initiative under the AB-PMJAY. Under this initiative, several Indian youths will be appointed as Ayushman Mitras in private and government hospitals, leading to the generation of employment in the country. They will receive a fixed salary based on the minimum wages in their respective states.
To help eligible citizens avail the benefits of the AB-PMJAY scheme, the government has now introduced an 'Ask Ayushman' chatbot on WhatsApp. This AI-enabled chatbot assistant allows the beneficiaries to get information on various aspects of AB-PMJAY. This includes the benefits and features of the scheme, finding the nearest AB-PMJAY empanelled hospital, the process of applying for an e-card, etc. The chatbot can comprehend and respond in Hindi and English. It also offers a text-to-speech feature for its users.
The AB-PMJAY is a great initiative to provide affordable healthcare facilities to the low-income sections of our country. However, if you are not eligible under this scheme, you must ensure that you buy a comprehensive health insurance plan for yourself and your loved ones. So, if you still haven’t secured yourself with a health insurance plan, take a look at the health insurance plans available on Bajaj Markets that come with various benefits like reinstatement benefits, cashless claim settlement, hassle-free renewal, etc.
Read more about other Government Health Insurance Schemes:
Ayushman Bharat Diwas is celebrated on April 30 every year.
Some of the healthcare services that a beneficiary can avail under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana are daycare surgeries, pre & post-hospitalisation expenses, newborn expenses, etc.
The Ayushman Bharat Yojana was launched on September 23, 2018.
The following treatments are not covered under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana:
Cosmetic surgeries and treatments
Drug rehabilitation
Fertility treatment
Organ transplant
Outpatient care
A beneficiary must approach the Ayushman Mitra at the empanelled hospital to seek help in availing the benefits under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana.