Overview

• Ayushman Bharat is a flagship health sector reform programme of the Government of India, launched in 2018.
• It aims to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in line with the National Health Policy, 2017 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly the principle of “leave no one behind”.
• The programme adopts a continuum of care approach, covering preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative healthcare across all levels.

Key Components of Ayushman Bharat

1. Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) – Primary Healthcare Pillar

• Upgraded Sub-Health Centres, Primary Health Centres (PHCs), and Urban PHCs to deliver Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC).
• Earlier known as Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs).
• Aim to address 80–90% of an individual’s lifetime healthcare needs at the primary level.

Services Provided

• Reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health services.
• Prevention, screening, and management of non-communicable diseases (hypertension, diabetes, common cancers).
• Communicable disease management.
• Mental health, geriatric care, palliative care, trauma care.
• Wellness services such as yoga, health promotion, and population-based screening.

Service Delivery

• Community outreach and early detection.
• Referral linkage, treatment adherence, and follow-up care.
• Local availability of essential medicines and diagnostics.

2. Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) – Health Insurance Pillar

• World’s largest publicly funded health assurance scheme.
• Provides ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation.
• Targets poor and vulnerable families identified using SECC 2011 deprivation and occupational criteria.

Key Features

• Cashless and paperless treatment at empanelled public and private hospitals.
• No restriction on family size, age, or gender.
• Covers all pre-existing diseases from day one.
• Nationwide portability, enabling access to healthcare across India.

Recent Expansion

• Introduction of Ayushman Vay Vandana Card for citizens aged 70 years and above.
• Expansion to additional states has strengthened national coverage.

3. Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM)

• A centrally sponsored scheme launched in 2021 with a large financial outlay to strengthen public health infrastructure.
• Focuses on capacity building across primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare, beyond the National Health Mission.

Key Focus Areas

• Creation and upgradation of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and Urban Health Centres.
• Establishment of Block Public Health Units and District Integrated Public Health Laboratories.
• Development of Critical Care Hospital Blocks.
• Strengthening pandemic preparedness, disease surveillance, and emergency response.
• Promotes the One Health approach for zoonotic disease prevention and control.

4. Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)

• Launched in 2021 to create a citizen-centric digital health ecosystem.
• Enables secure, consent-based access and sharing of health records.

Core Components

• ABHA ID for citizens.
• Health Facility Registry (HFR) and Healthcare Professional Registry (HPR).
• Digital systems for consent management and interoperability.

Significance

• Ensures continuity of care through longitudinal health records.
• Supports telemedicine, digital claims, and health data portability.
• Emphasises data privacy and security through a federated architecture.

Overall Significance

• Reduces out-of-pocket expenditure and financial hardship due to health costs.
• Strengthens primary healthcare, preventing disease progression and reducing hospital burden.
• Improves equity, accessibility, and efficiency in healthcare delivery.
• Acts as a key instrument for achieving Universal Health Coverage in India.

Conclusion

Ayushman Bharat represents a systemic transformation of India’s healthcare architecture, integrating primary care, financial protection, infrastructure strengthening, and digital health. Its long-term success is central to improving population health outcomes, enhancing resilience against health emergencies, and ensuring affordable healthcare for all citizens.