Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) is a revolutionary initiative introduced by the Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Officially launched in 2018, PMJAY is aimed at providing comprehensive health insurance to the economically disadvantaged demographics. To apprehend the objectives of PMJAY, it is significant to map its inception, progress, and outcomes in enhancing the public health scenario in India.
PMJAY evolved as a part of the Government of India’s flagship health mission, Ayushman Bharat. Otherwise known as the National Health Protection Scheme, Ayushman Bharat incorporates two significant components – the creation of 150,000 Health and Wellness Centres nationwide and the execution of the PMJAY.
One of the primary objectives of PMJAY is to extend insurance coverage to deprived and vulnerable communities in India. As per the socio-economic caste census data from 2011, PMJAY targets more than 100 million families from both urban and rural regions. The critical feature of this scheme is that it provides a health cover worth INR 5 lakh per family annually for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.
Through the robust PMJAY gov in registration process, beneficiaries from across the country can enrol themselves in the scheme. This digital registration process simplifies the accessibility of the initiative, thus contributing to its primary objective of making healthcare more accessible to economically challenged families.
The primary objective of PMJAY is to ensure that ‘healthcare becomes a ‘right’ instead of remaining as a ‘luxury’ for the majority of Indians. By mitigating the out-of-pocket expenditure on medical care within vulnerable communities, PMJAY contributes to eradicating financial uncertainty due to health issues. Hence, PMJAYs primary aspiration is to safeguard individuals and families from the financial crisis instigated by significant health costs.
Promoting preventive, promotive, and comprehensive healthcare services across India, PMJAY’s secondary objective is to enhance the standard of healthcare services. By asserting the strong purchase power of the government, it targets to improve the quality of healthcare to make it affordable and accessible.
Upon fulfilling the PMJAY gov in registration, beneficiaries can avail services at any empanelled public or private hospital across the country leveraging the scheme’s portability feature. This aspect eradicates geographical constraints, granting access to quality healthcare services nationwide, which is a significant stride towards universal health coverage.
PMJAY is adamant about providing cashless and paperless service. The PMJAY gov in registration eliminates the need for physical documents, and the cashless treatment aspect provides financial relief to beneficiaries. Moreover, there are no restrictions concerning family size, gender, or age in this scheme. Furthermore, pre-existing medical conditions are covered from day one under the PMJAY.
PMJAY identifies its beneficiaries based on the deprivation and occupational criteria of Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011(SECC 2011). The primary ambition is to secure the most susceptible and helpless underprivileged population households.
To fulfil the objectives of accessibility and quality, PMJAY has adopted a strategic purchase approach towards healthcare service. It has been partnering with numerous private and public healthcare providers countrywide. Thus, it aids in creating a network of healthcare services across India.
As a part of PMJAY objectives to increase accessibility, PMJAY has also implemented the Mera PMJAY app and the PMJAY helpline. This step-up has significantly smoothened the grievance redressal mechanism and expanded the accessibility and understanding of the scheme among the public.
In conclusion, PMJAY represents a momentous milestone in India’s public health sector, addressing the universal health coverage. By reducing the financial burden and enhancing the quality and availability of healthcare in India, PMJAY is progressively paving the pathway towards a healthier and secured India. The revolutionary digital facilitation, transparency and inclusivity make it a landmark in the healthcare scenario of India.
