AB-PMJAY Achieves Landmark: Issues 30 Crore Health Insurance Cards Benefiting Millions

In a major accomplishment, the government’s flagship health insurance initiative, Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), has surpassed the significant milestone of generating 30 crore beneficiary cards, as per an official statement. Managed by the National Health Authority (NHA), AB-PMJAY aims to offer health coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family annually for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to 12 crore beneficiary families.

According to the Health Ministry, Uttar Pradesh leads with 4.83 crore Ayushman cards, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 3.78 crore and Maharashtra with 2.39 crore. As of January 12, eleven states have exceeded one crore Ayushman card holders.

The creation of Ayushman cards is a crucial aspect of the scheme, and ongoing efforts are consistently made to ensure every beneficiary possesses one, the ministry emphasized.

Due to persistent efforts, the scheme has achieved the remarkable feat of creating 30 crore Ayushman cards, with over 16.7 crore cards generated in the last two financial years. In 2023-24 alone, more than 7.5 crore Ayushman cards have been created, equivalent to approximately 181 cards every minute.

The Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, launched on November 15, has played a pivotal role in accelerating card creation at the grassroots level, resulting in over 2.43 crore Ayushman cards during the yatra. The NHA has introduced the ‘Ayushman App’ for card generation, downloaded over 52 lakh times since its September 13 launch. Notably, around 14.6 crore Ayushman cards have been created for women.

The ministry highlighted that if beneficiaries sought the same treatment outside the scheme, the cost would have been nearly double, saving over Rs 1.25 lakh crore in out-of-pocket expenses for impoverished families.