As the flagship healthcare initiative Ayushman Bharat. completes eight years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has highlighted its expanding reach, with more than 60 crore people now covered under the scheme. Launched on September 23, 2018, Ayushman Bharat was envisioned as a major step towards ensuring that access to quality healthcare is not determined by a family’s ability to pay.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), eligible families receive annual health cover of up to Rs 5 lakh for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation. Government figures show that the scheme has funded around 13.25 crore hospital admissions, involving treatment worth Rs 2.03 lakh crore. More than 48.5 crore Ayushman cards have also been issued. For Prime Minister Modi, the larger vision goes beyond insurance. It is about building a healthcare system that reaches people where they live, while providing financial protection when serious illness strikes.