With West Bengal signing on to Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, the Centre’s flagship health assurance scheme now covers all 36 States and Union Territories, bringing cashless healthcare benefits to nearly six crore people in the State.

West Bengal joins Ayushman Bharat, extending health cover to 1.43 crore families

West Bengal on Sunday became the 36th State or Union Territory to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), completing nationwide adoption of the Centre’s flagship health assurance programme and extending health coverage benefits to approximately 1.43 crore families in the State.

The National Health Authority (NHA), under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal, formalising the State’s entry into the scheme.

The development is significant because it brings one of India’s largest populations under the Ayushman Bharat framework, enabling eligible beneficiaries to access cashless treatment through a nationwide network of empanelled hospitals. According to the Union government, around six crore people in West Bengal are expected to benefit from the programme.

Nationwide rollout reaches final milestone

The MoU signing ceremony was presided over by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava and senior officials from the Centre and the State government.

The agreement was signed by Sunil Kumar Barnwal, Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Authority, and Narayan Swaroop Nigam, Principal Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal.

Describing the occasion as a historic milestone, Nadda said the implementation of AB PM-JAY in West Bengal marked an important step in India’s journey towards Universal Health Coverage.

Launched in September 2018, Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY is a government-funded health assurance scheme that provides cashless healthcare services to eligible beneficiaries. According to the Union Health Ministry, beneficiaries have availed more than 12 crore treatments worth over ₹1.82 lakh crore under the programme.

Nadda said one of the scheme’s major outcomes has been a reduction in out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure, which has declined from 64.6% before 2018 to 43.4% currently.

He also cited findings published in The Lancet, stating that nearly 90% of eligible cancer patients under the scheme were able to access treatment within 30 days.

Benefits for migrant workers and vulnerable families

A key feature of PM-JAY is portability, which allows beneficiaries to access treatment outside their home State at empanelled hospitals.

Nadda said this provision would particularly benefit migrant workers from West Bengal and their families by ensuring continuity of healthcare services across the country.

According to the State government, around 1.24 crore eligible families will be covered under the scheme. With the inclusion of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), Anganwadi workers, helpers and senior citizens, the total beneficiary base will rise to approximately 1.43 crore families.

Punya Salila Srivastava said the beneficiary pool includes around 3.06 lakh families of ASHAs, Anganwadi workers and helpers, along with nearly 15.95 lakh families of senior citizens aged 70 years and above.

Manoj Kumar Agarwal, Chief Secretary of West Bengal, said beneficiaries would have access to cashless treatment across more than 36,000 empanelled hospitals under the scheme. Eligible families would receive health cover of up to ₹5 lakh annually, while senior citizens aged 70 years and above would be entitled to additional health coverage under the scheme’s provisions.

Centre expects annual contribution of nearly ₹1,000 crore

Sunil Kumar Barnwal said the Centre’s contribution towards implementation in West Bengal is expected to be nearly ₹1,000 crore annually based on the approved beneficiary base.

He said the funding would strengthen financial protection for beneficiaries while supporting the State’s healthcare ecosystem through increased utilisation of public and private healthcare facilities.

The Union Health Secretary also highlighted ongoing support to West Bengal’s health sector through the National Health Mission. She said a resource envelope of ₹3,505.59 crore had been conveyed to the State for FY 2026-27, with the first tranche of ₹527.58 crore already released.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari noted that ₹527 crore had recently been released under the National Health Mission to support healthcare infrastructure and service delivery in the State.

Towards universal health coverage

Anupriya Patel said Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY currently covers more than 62 crore people, including poor and vulnerable families, senior citizens aged 70 years and above, and gig and platform workers.

She said more than 44 crore Ayushman Cards had been created and over 12 crore hospital admissions had been authorised under the scheme, with women accounting for nearly half of all beneficiaries receiving treatment.

With West Bengal now joining the programme, the Union government has achieved nationwide adoption of AB PM-JAY across all States and Union Territories. Officials said the move would strengthen access to affordable healthcare, expand financial protection against medical expenses and advance the country’s goal of Universal Health Coverage.