Bhubaneswar: Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (ABPMJAY) will be implemented in the state by the end of this financial year, said Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling Friday.
Around 3.5 crore individuals will benefit from the merger of the Centre’s flagship health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat and state’s Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana (G-JAY), said the state Health minister, adding that ‘a single card’ will be issued to the beneficiaries. When asked about the deadline for the integrated scheme’s rollout in the state, the minister said he is hopeful of doing the same by the end of 2024-25 financial year.
Regarding the inclusion of people in AB-PMJAY who have already been covered under the existing state-run insurance schemes, Mahaling said that the process is on to prepare a comprehensive database of the beneficiaries. A clear picture will emerge after completion of e-KYC verification of ration cards in the state, he added. According to reports, under the integrated scheme, male beneficiaries will receive health insurance coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh and female beneficiaries Rs 10 lakh. The initiative also includes special provisions for senior citizens, who are above 70 years. The minister said that 27,000 hospitals would be empanelled under the integrated scheme. Earlier, only 900 hospitals were empanelled under the state-run health scheme. The Majhi government had renamed Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana as Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana.