Definition
Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana is the government health-assurance scheme providing free secondary and tertiary hospitalisation cover to poor and vulnerable families.
Launched in 2018 and run by the National Health Authority, PM-JAY offers eligible families an annual hospitalisation cover (a large per-family limit) at empanelled public and private hospitals, fully funded by the government with no premium from beneficiaries. Beneficiaries are identified using socio-economic criteria.
The scheme is cashless and paperless at empanelled hospitals via the Ayushman card, covering a wide list of treatment packages. It has since been extended to cover senior citizens above a certain age irrespective of income, making it one of the world's largest publicly funded health-assurance programmes.
Related terms
- Network HospitalA network hospital is a healthcare provider that has a tie-up with the insurer or TPA to offer cashless treatment to policyholders.
- ESICThe Employees' State Insurance Corporation runs a contributory social-security scheme providing medical and cash benefits to organised-sector workers below an income threshold.
- CGHSThe Central Government Health Scheme provides comprehensive healthcare to serving and retired central government employees and their dependents.
Plain-English explainer from The Dispatch Investors Encyclopedia. General information, not financial advice.