Why in news?
- Out of 27,000 hospitals empanelled for Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) since its 2018 launch, only 18,783 remain active, the latest health ministry data showed.
About Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana:
- It is the world’s largest health insurance/ assurance scheme fully financed by the government.
- The households included are based on the deprivation and occupational criteria of Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 (SECC 2011) for rural and urban areas respectively.
- It provides a cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization across public and private empanelled hospitals in India.
- It provides cashless access to health care services for the beneficiary at the point of service, that is, the hospital.
- There is no restriction on the family size, age or gender.
- Benefits of the scheme are portable across the country i.e.; a beneficiary can visit any empanelled public or private hospital in India to avail cashless treatment.
- The scheme being implemented by the National Health Authority.
