Bhubaneswar: In a major step towards universal health coverage, the Odisha government is set to roll out the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana from April 1. These schemes will provide health insurance coverage to over 3.5 crore people across the state.
The decision was taken during a high-level meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday. The state government will mark the launch of the scheme with special programmes in all 1,438 primary health centres, alongside an extensive awareness campaign to ensure maximum outreach.
The state government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Health Authority in New Delhi on January 13 to implement AB-PMJAY in Odisha. With this, Odisha will now join the list of states providing comprehensive cashless healthcare services under the Centre’s flagship health scheme.
According to a release from the Chief Minister’s Office, more than 1.03 crore families in Odisha will benefit from the joint implementation of AB-PMJAY and Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana. Individually, the schemes will cover over 3.46 crore people in the state. Beneficiaries will be issued a co-branded health card, allowing them to avail treatment under both schemes seamlessly. Pradhanmantri Vaya Vandana Yojana beneficiaries will receive a separate card for healthcare services.
Under AB-PMJAY, around 67.80 lakh families will be covered, while 35.84 lakh families will benefit from the Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana. Additionally, the government has decided to extend AB-PMJAY benefits to people above 70 years of age, bringing an additional six lakh beneficiaries under the scheme. With this inclusion, the total number of beneficiaries in Odisha will reach 3.52 crore.
Each male beneficiary under the scheme will be entitled to medical treatment worth up to ₹5 lakh, while female beneficiaries will receive coverage up to ₹10 lakh. Families with a member above 70 years of age will be eligible for medical treatment up to ₹15 lakh. Beneficiaries can avail of cashless treatment at over 29,000 government and empaneled private hospitals across the country.
The meeting was attended by Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, Development Commissioner Anu Garg, Principal Secretary of Information and Public Relations Department Sanjay Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary of IT Department Vishal Dev, Secretary of Health Department Aswathy S, and other senior officials.
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