Nadda Says PM-JAY Has Enabled More Than 13 Crore Hospital Admissions

Summary:
Union Health Minister JP Nadda said PM-JAY has expanded access to healthcare, facilitating more than 13 crore hospital admissions and treatments worth over Rs 2 lakh crore for more than 60 crore beneficiaries. The scheme now covers all citizens aged 70 and above, while its portability has particularly benefited migrant workers. Nadda also highlighted the growth of ABDM, with over 97.8 crore ABHAs, 121 crore linked health records, and more than 5.6 lakh health facilities registered. He said digital initiatives such as the National Health Claims Exchange will further support secure health data use, research, innovation and data-driven healthcare. 

Union Health Minister JP Nadda said on Friday that the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) has brought significant changes to healthcare in India, enabling more than 13 crore hospital admissions and supporting treatments valued at over Rs 2 lakh crore.

Speaking at Aarogya Manthan 2026 at Vigyan Bhawan, Nadda said PM-JAY has reached more than 60 crore beneficiaries and has become the world’s largest health assurance programme since its introduction eight years ago. The event also commemorated five years of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).

Nadda noted that the Government has broadened PM-JAY to cover all citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their socioeconomic background. He recalled that before the introduction of Ayushman Bharat, families frequently had to sell property or land to meet the costs of medical treatment, particularly for critical conditions such as cancer. Recalling his experience after becoming an MLA in 1993, Nadda said that patients requiring bypass surgery would seek financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh from the chief minister, who would point out that numerous people were already seeking support from the relief fund and that assistance could only be provided to a limited number of patients.

He also stressed the importance of PM-JAY’s portability, especially for migrant workers, and recognised the role played by State Governments, healthcare providers and other stakeholders in expanding the programme.

On ABDM, Nadda said more than 97.8 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHAs) have been generated, with over 121 crore health records connected to the digital system. He added that more than 5.6 lakh health facilities and approximately 11 lakh healthcare professionals are now registered within the ABDM ecosystem.

Nadda further spoke about the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX), which is designed to connect hospitals and insurance companies through a unified digital platform. He said the initiatives introduced during Aarogya Manthan 2026 would help advance digital healthcare, enable the secure utilisation of health data and support research, innovation and data-based decision-making in the health sector.