PM-JAY World’s Largest Health Assurance Programme: Nadda

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 25th Sept: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J.P. Nadda on Friday inaugurated Arogya Manthan 2026 at Vigyan Bhawan, marking eight years of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) and five years of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).

Organised by the National Health Authority (NHA), the event brought together government officials, healthcare providers, insurers, technology experts, academia and other stakeholders to review the progress of India’s health assurance and digital health ecosystem and discuss priorities for its next phase.

Addressing the gathering, Nadda said the twin milestones provide an opportunity to assess the progress of the programmes and renew efforts towards improving healthcare access for poor and marginalised sections.

He highlighted the expansion of AB PM-JAY since its launch, stating that the programme has covered more than 60 crore beneficiaries and facilitated over 13 crore hospital admissions, involving treatment worth more than ₹2 lakh crore.

The Minister also noted the expansion of the scheme to include all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their socio-economic status. He highlighted the portability of the scheme as particularly important for migrant workers who may require healthcare services away from their home states.

ABDM expands digital health infrastructure
Nadda highlighted the role of technology in strengthening India’s healthcare delivery system. According to the figures presented at the event, more than 97.8 crore ABHA IDs have been created, while over 121 crore health records have been linked to the ABDM ecosystem.

More than 5.6 lakh health facilities and around 11 lakh healthcare professionals are also registered on the digital health ecosystem.

The Minister also referred to the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX), which seeks to provide a common digital platform connecting hospitals and insurers and facilitating greater interoperability in health insurance processes.

New digital health initiatives launched
A major component of Arogya Manthan 2026 was the launch of several initiatives aimed at strengthening digital health infrastructure and health assurance systems.

These include:

• National Healthcare Providers Registry (NHPR) Mobile App
• NHCX Implementation Guide for Payers
• Guidebook for a Model Digital Health Facility
• Secure Data Environment (SDE) application
• Framework for Auto-Adjudication of Claims under AB PM-JAY

The Secure Data Environment, developed by NHA with support from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, is designed as a controlled environment for authorised access to and analysis of AB PM-JAY and ABDM health data.

Under the framework, approved entities can work with de-identified data or execute code within an isolated NHA environment, with outputs reviewed before release. The initiative is intended to support health research, programme planning, outcome analysis and responsible AI innovation while incorporating safeguards for personal data.

Focus on quality, interoperability and healthcare financing
The event also featured discussions on the role of technology and standardisation in improving healthcare delivery.

A session on “NHCX for Streamlining Health Insurance” examined how interoperable digital claims infrastructure could improve coordination and efficiency across the health insurance ecosystem.

Under the AB PM-JAY track, discussions focused on technology-driven claims processing, programme integrity, strategic purchasing, quality of care and cost-effectiveness.

The ABDM track examined the Unified Health Interface (UHI) and the importance of common health-data standards for improving access, information exchange, continuity of care and healthcare delivery.

Experts underline next phase of health reforms
Dr M. Srinivas, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, said the next phase should focus on continuity of care, quality and patient-centric healthcare, including seamless referral mechanisms for patients requiring specialised treatment.

He also stressed the importance of wider adoption of ABHA and interoperability of digital health records, with citizen consent and appropriate safeguards. He said standardised and interoperable health data would be important for health research and the responsible use of artificial intelligence in healthcare.

IRDAI Chairman Ajay Seth highlighted the need for quality, affordability and accessibility in healthcare and emphasised greater standardisation and transparency in health insurance.

Dr Rajiv Bahl, Director General, ICMR and Secretary, Department of Health Research, highlighted the role of standardised treatment protocols and cost-effectiveness assessment. He noted that ICMR has developed more than 150 standard treatment workflows and guidelines, while the Health Technology Assessment in India evaluates the cost-effectiveness of healthcare technologies and interventions.

NHA CEO Sunil Kumar Barnwal said the programmes had generated substantial health data that could support research, development and health analytics. He highlighted the Secure Data Environment and Auto-Adjudication Framework as initiatives aimed at enabling responsible data use and strengthening claims processing.

States and UTs recognised for implementation
Arogya Manthan 2026 also recognised States and Union Territories for their performance under AB PM-JAY and ABDM.

Under AB PM-JAY, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Jammu & Kashmir were recognised for the highest card saturation among ASHA, Anganwadi Worker and Anganwadi Helper beneficiaries in the large State, small State and Union Territory categories, respectively.

Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Gujarat were recognised as top-performing States in claim settlement for inter-State portability.

Under ABDM, Bihar, Ladakh and Dadra and Nagar Haveli were recognised as top-performing States/UTs across model districts based on district population categories.

Chandigarh, Assam and Uttar Pradesh were recognised for having the highest number of sub-centres using ABDM-enabled Health Management Information Systems (HMIS) in the small State/UT, medium State/UT and large State categories, respectively.

The deliberations at Arogya Manthan 2026 centred on expanding access, improving healthcare quality, strengthening interoperability and using digital technologies to support a more connected health ecosystem.