NEW DELHI: Nearly six crore people in West Bengal will now be covered under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) after the state on Monday became the 36th state or union territory to implement the central government's flagship health insurance scheme, completing its nationwide rollout. The move comes barely a month after the Bharatiya Janata Party government took office in the state and fulfills a key election promise.
Background of the Scheme
West Bengal had initially implemented PM-JAY when it was launched in September 2018 but withdrew from the scheme on January 10, 2019. Monday's agreement marks the state's return to the program after more than seven years. A memorandum of understanding for the implementation of PM-JAY was signed at Vigyan Bhawan between the National Health Authority and the West Bengal government in the presence of Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
Beneficiaries and Coverage
Officials stated that the rollout will benefit approximately 1.43 crore families in the state, comprising nearly six crore people. This includes 1.24 crore eligible beneficiary families, around three lakh families of ASHA and Anganwadi workers and helpers, and nearly 16 lakh families of senior citizens aged 70 years and above. Under the scheme, eligible families receive health coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh annually for secondary and tertiary hospitalization through a network of empanelled public and private hospitals across the country.
Political Significance
Taking a political swipe at the previous state government, Nadda remarked that Ayushman Bharat had once been met with a "Hobe Na" response in West Bengal, but had now become a reality for the state's residents. He mentioned that he had personally urged the then government to continue with the scheme when it was launched in 2018, but the state subsequently opted out. Adhikari said the state's return to PM-JAY reflected the benefits of a "double-engine government" and contrasted it with the previous administration's decision to withdraw from the scheme in 2019. He emphasized that the people had elected a government that believed in working with the center and bringing central welfare programs to the state.
National Impact and Portability
Nadda highlighted that PM-JAY beneficiaries have availed over 12 crore treatments worth Rs 1.82 lakh crore nationwide and that the scheme's portability feature would particularly benefit migrant workers from West Bengal. Adhikari added that the center had recently released Rs 527 crore to the state under the National Health Mission. The National Health Authority stated that the center's annual contribution towards PM-JAY implementation in West Bengal is expected to be around Rs 1,000 crore, with beneficiaries able to access cashless treatment at more than 36,000 empanelled hospitals across the country.
