Union Home Minister Amit Shah highlighted the reach of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) as the flagship healthcare scheme completed eight years on Wednesday.
He said the initiative has emerged as an important health security measure for economically vulnerable sections.
Shah said Ayushman Bharat provides health cover of up to ₹5 lakh and has extended coverage to more than 60 crore people.
More than 13 crore beneficiaries have also availed treatment under the scheme, according to figures released on its eighth anniversary.
He said the scheme has helped protect poor families from the financial burden associated with medical treatment and linked its expansion to the government’s focus on public welfare and Antyodaya.
Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY was launched on September 23, 2018, to expand access to secondary and tertiary healthcare.
The government said the scheme had funded around 13.25 crore hospital admissions worth ₹2.03 lakh crore as of August 31, 2026, through more than 38,000 empanelled public and private hospitals.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also marked the scheme’s eighth anniversary, saying more than 60 crore beneficiaries now have access to ₹5 lakh annual health cover.
He said the initiative had enabled significant savings on medical expenses and benefited poor and middle-class families.
The government also said Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have recorded more than 500 crore visits, strengthening access to primary healthcare at the grassroots.
The government marked the anniversary with #8YearsOfAyushmanBharat, highlighting expanded healthcare coverage.
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