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New Delhi: Union Health Minister J P Nadda said on Friday that the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana has transformed healthcare in the country, with the scheme facilitating over 13 crore hospital admissions, providing treatment worth more than Rs 2 lakh crore.
Addressing Aarogya Manthan 2026 at the Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi, Nadda stated that the scheme has covered over 60 crore beneficiaries and has emerged as the world’s largest health assurance programme since its launch eight years ago.
The event also marked five years of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
Nadda highlighted that the government has expanded PM-JAY to include all senior citizens aged 70 and above, regardless of their socioeconomic status. He recalled that before Ayushman Bharat, families often had to sell land or homes to afford treatment, especially for serious illnesses like cancer.
“I became an MLA in 1993. At that time, we would approach the chief minister to request Rs 1 lakh for a patient needing bypass surgery. The chief minister would respond that many patients were seeking help from the relief fund and ask how many he could assist,” Nadda shared.
He emphasised the portability of the scheme, particularly benefiting migrant workers, and acknowledged the contributions of state governments, healthcare institutions, and other stakeholders in advancing the program.
Regarding ABDM, Nadda said that more than 97.8 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHAs) have been created, with over 121 crore health records linked.
Additionally, over 5.6 lakh health facilities and around 11 lakh healthcare professionals are registered on the ABDM ecosystem, he said.
Nadda also highlighted the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX), which seeks to bring hospitals and insurers onto a common digital platform.
He said the initiatives launched at Aarogya Manthan 2026 would further strengthen digital healthcare, facilitate secure use of health data and create opportunities for health research, innovation and data-driven decision-making.
Dr M Srinivas, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, said the next phase of PM-JAY should focus on strengthening continuity of care, quality and patient-centric healthcare, including seamless referral mechanisms for patients requiring specialised treatment.
He also stressed the importance of broader adoption of ABHA and greater interoperability of digital health records, accompanied by citizen consent and appropriate safeguards.
Dr Rajiv Bahl, Director General of ICMR and Secretary of the Department of Health Research, noted that future efforts should concentrate on improving healthcare quality and expanding coverage.
He mentioned the collaboration between DHR, ICMR, and the National Health Authority (NHA), stating that ICMR has developed over 150 standard treatment workflows and guidelines.
Bahl also underlined the importance of cost-effectiveness in healthcare, noting that the health technology assessment in India under DHR evaluates the cost-effectiveness of healthcare technologies and interventions.
NHA CEO Sunil Kumar Barnwal said more than 49 crore Ayushman cards and around 98 crore ABHA IDs have been generated across the country.
He added that PM-JAY has generated more than 13 crore patient records, creating a repository for research, development and health analytics.
Barnwal expressed confidence that the Secure Data Environment (SDE) would enable responsible use of such data while safeguarding patient identities.
A key highlight of Aarogya Manthan 2026 was the launch of several initiatives aimed at strengthening the digital foundations of India’s health assurance ecosystem.
These include the National Healthcare Providers Registry (NHPR) mobile app, NHCX implementation guide for payers, guidebook for a Model Digital Health Facility, SDE application and framework for auto-adjudication of claims under AB PM-JAY.
The SDE, developed by NHA with support from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru, is envisioned as a governed environment for accessing and analysing AB PM-JAY and ABDM health data.
Approved entities will be able to work with de-identified data or execute code within an isolated NHA environment, with outputs reviewed before release.
This initiative aims to facilitate health research, program planning, outcome analysis, and responsible AI innovation while incorporating safeguards to protect personal data.
Discussions at Aarogya Manthan focused on enhancing the efficiency, quality, and interoperability of health services, including how NHCX can streamline health insurance processes through a standardised and technology-driven digital claims infrastructure.
