New Delhi: Ensuring quality cashless healthcare to the people of Odisha, the State Government signed an MoU with the health and Family Welfare Ministry for implementation of the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY.

With the signing of this MoU, 1.03 Crore families in Odisha will receive the Ayushman Bharat health card. They will be able to avail cashless treatment at over 30,000 hospitals across the country.

Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department, Aswathy S and the National Health Authority CEO LS Changsan signed and exchanged the MoUs at the Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. Union Health Minister JP Nadda, Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy CM KV Singh Deo and the State’s Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling were present during the occasion.

Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Jual Oram were also present.

The Centre and the Odisha Government have finalised the modalities for integration of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) with the State Government-funded Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana (GJAY).

The GJAY, which was previously known as the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), provides annual cashless treatment of ₹5 lakh per family and additional ₹5 lakh for women beneficiaries whereas the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY offers health insurance coverage up to ₹5 lakh per family per annuum. As per the new arrangement, women beneficiaries will continue to receive additional health coverage up to ₹5 lakh.

Odisha became the 34th state to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana(AB PM-JAY).

A total of approximately1 .03 crore families will come under the converged scheme with 67.8 lakh families supported by the Union government.

Addressing the gathering, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda remarked: "Today is a historic day for Odisha. AB PM-JAY is not only the world's largest health coverage scheme, but also the fastest to be implemented since conception."

He said that approximately 45 per cent of India's population is benefited through the AB PM-JAY scheme.
J.P. Nadda added that the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card launched in October 2024 will benefit approximately 6 crore people aged 70 years and above.

The Union Health Minister also stated that since the inception of the AB PM-JAY scheme, 8.19 crore hospital admissions have been recorded, with Rs 1.13 lakh crore spent on providing healthcare to the poor.

Quoting a recent Lancet study on Southeast Asia, J.P. Nadda revealed that AB PM-JAY has increased access to healthcare for cancer patients by 33 per cent.

On the occasion, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi mentioned: "People from our state, who were previously receiving treatment in around 900 empaneled hospitals, will now have access to cashless and quality treatment in over 29,000 government and private empaneled hospitals."

He stated that the converged schemes of GJAY and ABPM-JAY will cumulatively benefit around 4.5 crore people of Odisha with the help of a single card.

"The AB PM-JAY world’s largest health assurance scheme launched in 2018 by PM Modi insuring health coverage to more than 50 crore people in the country. However, for political reasons, in Odisha, the people were kept out of it as it was not implemented by the then state government. In order to correct the mistake, the state government took the decision to implement ABPM-JAY in the state as early as possible," said Majhi.

He said around one crore families in Odisha are provided health assurance under the state government's scheme Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana.

CM Majhi further said that every month, 1.50 lakh patients receive cashless treatment amounting up to Rs 350 crore at empaneled private hospitals.

"However, there are certain limitations. At present, the beneficiaries are availing cashless treatment at only 900 empaneled private hospitals. Also, the people staying outside the state are deprived of the service under the scheme. These twin flaws will be corrected through the implementation of ABPM-JAY. The beneficiaries can avail cashless treatment in more than 29,000 government and private hospitals in India," added CM Majhi. (With Agency Inputs)