Ayushman Bharat Yojana or Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana or National Health Protection Yojana is a Central Government sponsored scheme, launched in 2018 under the Ayushman Bharat Mission of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. In the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the central government provides health insurance to poor families and families of urban poor.
Ayushman Bharat Yojana: Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana or National Health Protection Yojana is a Central Government sponsored scheme, launched in 2018 under the Ayushman Bharat Mission of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. In the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the central government provides health insurance to poor families and families of urban poor. Ayushman Bharat Yojana is being run across the country under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). Under this scheme of the Government of India, more than 10 crore families in the country will get benefit. For this you have to make an Ayushman Bharat card, for which certain necessary qualifications are prescribed. Eligible people can make this card and get free treatment in hospitals up to 5 lakhs.
Modi government’s Ayushman Bharat Yojana (ABY) provides health insurance to economically backward people in the society. ABY Yojana is also called Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. Through this scheme, 10 crore families in the country are getting health insurance up to Rs 5 lakh per year.
Objectives of Ayushman Bharat Yojana
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya’ Yojana (Ayushman Bharat Yojana). This scheme was implemented nationwide from 25th September 2019 on the birth anniversary of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay. Government will provide health insurance to poor, marginalized families and members of urban poor families through ABY.
According to the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011, 8.03 crore families in rural areas and 2.33 crore families in urban areas will come under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Currently 62,667 families are eligible under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. In this way 50 crore people will come under the ambit of PM Jai Yojana.
In Ayushman Bharat Yojana (ABY) every family is getting a medical insurance benefit of Rs five lakh per annum. The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHBY) launched by the then UPA government in 2008 has been merged with the Ayushman Bharat Yojana (PM-JAY) scheme.
Who is getting insurance cover in ABY?
The Modi government at the center is trying to ensure that women, children and senior citizens will be included in the ABY scheme on priority basis. There is no age or family size restriction to avail Ayushman Bharat Yojana (ABY).
Ayushman Bharat Yojana (ABY) beneficiaries will be treated cashless/paperless in all government hospitals and panel hospitals.
How is Eligibility Determined for Ayushman Bharat Yojana?
According to SECC data, people are getting health insurance under Ayushman Bharat Yojana (ABY). According to the SECC report, people belonging to D1, D2, D3, D4, D5 and D7 categories of rural areas have been included in the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
People can join Ayushman Bharat Yojana (ABY) in urban areas under 11 pre-defined occupations/jobs. People already covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme in the state are automatically enrolled in the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Eligibility for Ayushman Bharat scheme in rural areas
Following are the eligibility criteria for joining Ayushman Bharat Yojana (ABY)
Those who do not have a fixed house in rural areas, no elderly (16-59 years) in the family, female head of the family, disabled person in the family, persons belonging to scheduled castes/tribes, landless persons/ unemployed laborers are considered eligible for this scheme.
At the same time, homeless persons, destitute, beggars, tribals etc. in rural areas can avail the benefits of Ayushman Bharat Yojana without any process.
Eligibility for Urban Ayushman Bharat Yojana
Following are the specific eligibility criteria for joining Ayushman Bharat Yojana (ABY) –
Beggars, garbage collectors, domestic workers, petty shopkeepers, tailors, hawkers, other street workers.
Construction site labourers, plumbers, masons, painters, welders, security guards, porters and other workers who carry goods. Cleaners, laborers, handicraft workers, tailors, drivers, rickshaw pullers, shopkeepers etc. are eligible for Ayushman Bharat Yojana (ABY).
Procedure for Hospitalization in Ayushman Bharat Yojana
In Ayushman Bharat Yojana (ABY), the beneficiary patient does not have to pay any fee for hospitalization. The entire cost of treatment from the time of admission to the hospital will be covered through this scheme.
Ayushman Bharat Yojana (ABY) will also cover pre-hospitalization and post-hospitalization expenses.
Each hospital involved in the scheme will have an Ayushman Mitra. He will help the patient and their relatives in every possible way and help him in providing hospital facilities.
The hospital will also have a help desk where assistance will be provided for document verification, verification for enrollment in the scheme.
A person participating in the Ayushman Bharat scheme will get free treatment in any government or private hospital included in the panel in the country.
What is involved in Ayushman Bharat Yojana?
Ayushman Bharat Yojana (ABY) covers almost all medical treatment and post-hospitalization expenses. Union Health Ministry has included 1354 packages in Ayushman Bharat Yojana (ABY). These include treatments like coronary bypasses, knee replacements and stents.
Cost of treatment under Ayushman Bharat Yojana (ABY) is 15-20 percent less than Central Government Health Yojana (CGHS).
What is the eligibility of ABY beneficiaries?
There is no formal procedure to avail Ayushman Bharat Yojana (ABY). Once eligible for this scheme you can directly treat any disease. Family members as determined by the government can join the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
The Central Government will share the information of eligible families in terms of ABY with all the State Governments and other concerned agencies of the Department. After that the concerned family will get a family identification number. Only people included in this list can avail Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
People who have National Arogya Bima Yojana card till 28 February 2018 can also avail Ayushman Bharat Yojana (ABY).
In which hospital will ABY beneficiaries be treated?
Beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat Yojana (ABY) can get treatment in all government hospitals in the country. At the same time, the beneficiaries of ABY can also get treatment in the private hospitals which are included in the government panel.
A private hospital joining the panel should have at least 10 beds and capacity to increase this number of beds.
Beneficiaries can also call the helpline number 14555 issued by Govt for Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
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