Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) has crossed the 60-crore beneficiary mark eight years after its launch, according to data released by the Union health ministry on Wednesday.
Marking the eighth anniversary of the flagship healthcare scheme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said more than 60 crore beneficiaries now have access to annual health cover of up to ₹5 lakh. He described Ayushman Bharat as the world's largest healthcare scheme and said it had helped reduce medical expenses for poor and middle-class families.
In a post on X, Modi said the scheme was launched in 2018 with the aim of ensuring access to quality and affordable healthcare for every Indian. He also highlighted the expansion of primary healthcare through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, which have recorded more than 500 crore visits.
The latest government figures show that more than 48.51 crore people had Ayushman Cards as of September 21, 2026, covering about 33% of India's population. The scheme has funded more than 13.25 crore hospital admissions worth ₹2.03 lakh crore through a network of more than 38,000 empanelled public and private hospitals.
Scheme expands across all states and Union territories
Launched on September 23, 2018, AB-PMJAY provides cashless health cover of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to eligible beneficiaries.
The scheme is now operational across all 36 States and Union territories. Its portability feature allows beneficiaries to receive cashless treatment at any empanelled hospital anywhere in the country, irrespective of their home state. By June 30, 2026, more than 29 lakh inter-state portability admissions worth over ₹8,383 crore had been authorised.
The government has also expanded the scheme beyond its original beneficiary base. In March 2024, around 37 lakh families of Accredited Social Health Activists, Anganwadi workers and Anganwadi helpers were brought under its coverage.
In October 2024, AB-PMJAY was extended to all citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their socio-economic status. The expansion is estimated to cover around six crore senior citizens across 4.5 crore families. As of September 21, 2026, more than 1.36 crore Ayushman Vay Vandana Cards had been created.
Primary and digital healthcare infrastructure
The health ministry said Ayushman Bharat is built around more than just hospitalisation cover. Ayushman Arogya Mandirs provide primary healthcare at the community level, while the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission support digital and physical healthcare infrastructure.
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have recorded a cumulative footfall of more than 540 crore. More than 50 crore teleconsultations had also been conducted through the centres and other facilities by September 17, 2026.
The digital health ecosystem has also expanded. More than 97.61 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts were operational as of September 17, with over 119.95 crore health records linked to them. The platform had more than 5.78 lakh verified healthcare facilities and around 11 lakh registered healthcare professionals.
The government has said the scheme provides cashless healthcare for 1,961 procedures across 27 medical specialties. Beneficiary families are identified using defined deprivation and occupational criteria, with families previously covered under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana also included.
The health ministry said Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY has helped reduce financial barriers to treatment and represents India's effort to make healthcare more affordable and accessible.
Modi, meanwhile, said the scheme had enabled record savings on medical expenses and extended his wishes to all Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries on its eighth anniversary.
The latest official data also indicates a broader decline in the share of healthcare expenses borne directly by households. According to National Health Accounts estimates, out-of-pocket expenditure fell from 62.6% of total health expenditure in 2014-15 to 43.4% in 2022-23.