Bhubaneswar: The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) will be rolled out in Odisha from today. The AB-PMJAY and the existing Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana (GJAY), earlier known as Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), will be integrated into a combined scheme.

With this integration, over 3.46 crore people from 1.03 crore families will be covered under a unified health insurance scheme. Beneficiaries will now receive individual health cards instead of family-based ones.

Key Features of the Integrated Scheme:

1. Free treatment up to ₹5 lakh per year for each beneficiary.

2. Additional ₹5 lakh coverage for women members of the family.

3. Senior citizens aged above 70 will get a separate card under the Ayushman Vay Vandana scheme.

4. Every beneficiary will be issued a personal health card, replacing the earlier system of separate cards for male and female family members.

5. Beneficiaries will now be able to receive free treatment at more than 29,000 government and private empanelled hospitals across India.

Health department officials have assured a smooth transition, stating that no eligible person will be denied healthcare services during the rollout phase. As the scheme is linked with Aadhaar numbers, beneficiaries can access treatment at empanelled hospitals simply by presenting their Aadhaar card, even if the new health card is yet to be delivered.

The move aims to streamline public healthcare access across Odisha by combining state and central schemes into one robust platform, making healthcare more accessible, inclusive, and efficient.