Before 2018, one serious hospital bill could ruin a poor family — most Indians had no health insurance. Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, launched in September 2018, changed that, offering ₹5 lakh a year of free hospital cover to the poorest 40% of the country.
Ayushman Bharat
Ayushman Bharat
Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY is the world's largest publicly funded health-assurance scheme — free hospital cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year for about 55 crore Indians (the poorest 40%, plus all senior citizens over 70 since 2024). Launched in 2018, it has issued over 42 crore Ayushman cards, funded 7.4+ crore hospital admissions, and saved families over ₹1.5 lakh crore in out-of-pocket costs. The counter shows Ayushman cards issued.
55 cr
Indians covered (world's largest)
42+ cr
Ayushman cards issued
₹1.5 L cr
Out-of-pocket costs saved
Ayushman cards issued
| Year | Ayushman cards issued |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 1 crore |
| 2019 | 10 crore |
| 2020 | 14 crore |
| 2021 | 17 crore |
| 2022 | 22 crore |
| 2023 | 30 crore |
| 2024 | 36 crore |
| 2025 | 42 crore |
2018
0crore
Ayushman cards issued
20182025
Since 2018
Added
+41 crore
2018
1 crore
2025
42 crore
Why it matters A single serious illness can push a family into poverty; free hospital cover for half the country is one of the most powerful anti-poverty and health tools India has built.
- 55 crore covered (world's largest); ₹5 lakh/family/year
- 42+ cr cards; 7.4+ cr admissions; ₹1.5 lakh cr saved
- Source: National Health Authority
History
World's largest
The scheme now covers ~55 crore people — the world's largest health-assurance programme — across ~33,000 public and private hospitals. In 2024 it was extended to all senior citizens aged 70+. Over 42 crore cards have been issued and families have saved more than ₹1.5 lakh crore.
How it works
Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY) is government-funded health insurance: eligible poor and vulnerable families get ₹5 lakh a year of cashless hospital cover at any empanelled public or private hospital, with no premium — the government pays. Eligibility is drawn from the socio-economic census, and alongside insurance, thousands of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs handle primary care, screening and free medicines closer to home.
Outlook
Coverage keeps widening — in 2024 the scheme was extended to all citizens aged 70 and above, regardless of income. The next steps are empanelling more quality hospitals (especially rural), speeding up claim settlements, curbing fraud, and linking the scheme to the digital health-record system so a patient's history follows them from one hospital to the next.
The road ahead
The work in progress is quality and reach — improving care standards, speeding up claims, and making sure rural families know about their entitlements.
By the numbers
~55 crore covered; ₹5 lakh/family/year; 42+ cr cards; 7.4+ cr admissions; ₹1.5 lakh cr saved; ~33,000 hospitals. Source: National Health Authority.
Source: National Health Authority — Ayushman cards issued under AB PM-JAY (crore), 2018–2025.