Bhubaneswar: Union Health & Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda will visit Odisha to roll out Ayushman Bharat Yojana in the state next week, informed Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal today. 

The BJP's national president is scheduled to reach Bhubaneswar on April 10 night and he will launch the Ayushman Bharat scheme next day i.e on April 11, he said. 

Later in the day, Nadda is set to attend a training programme with the party's MLAs and MPs. 

Notably, Odisha Government has initiated a process for integrating Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) with the existing Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana (GJAY), formerly known as Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY). The merger will provide a unified health card to beneficiaries. 

With this integration, around 3.52 crore people from 1.08 crore families will be covered under the combined scheme, likely to be named Ayushman Bharat-Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-GJAY). As per the eligibility criteria, around 67.8 lakh families will be covered under AB-PMJAY, while the Odisha government will extend coverage to the remaining beneficiaries through GJAY.

As per reports, the integration process is in its final stages. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the IT major, has been assigned to update software interfaces in the billing and claims sections to ensure seamless access for hospitals and monitoring agencies.

As per the finalised modalities, the Odisha government will bear the cost for beneficiaries and treatment packages not covered under AB-PMJAY. Unlike the previously implemented BSKY, now renamed as GJAY, the state government will provide a separate health card to every individual covered under the combined scheme.

Additionally, elderly citizens above 70 years will receive a distinct card under the Ayushman Vay Vandana scheme.

Earlier, families were issued two health cards—one for men and another for women members. With the new integration, each of the 3.52 crore beneficiaries will receive an individual health card.

Health department officials have assured that eligible beneficiaries will not face delays in availing healthcare services due to the transition. 

Since Aadhaar numbers are linked to the scheme, individuals can access benefits by presenting their Aadhaar card at empanelled hospitals, ensuring uninterrupted medical coverage even before they receive their new health cards, the officials said.