New Delhi, August 22 (Udaipur Kiran): The Indian government is planning to increase the insurance coverage under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. It is expected that the insurance cover could be raised to ₹10 lakh for general cases and ₹15 lakh for specific conditions. Currently, the scheme offers a coverage of ₹5 lakh. A group of secretaries has already prepared a preliminary report on this, which will soon be presented to the Cabinet Secretary.
The central government aims to increase the number of Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries to 100 crore in the next 5 years. Currently, the number of beneficiaries (those with Ayushman cards) is around 55 crore. However, the number of beneficiaries who actually got hospitalized and availed treatment was 7.37 crore as of June 30. Women accounted for 48% of the hospitalized beneficiaries.
The group of secretaries’ report, proposing an increase in the insurance coverage under Ayushman Bharat, states that considering the rising cost of treatment, the insurance cover should be increased from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh for general cases. Similarly, for women or patients with critical illnesses, the insurance cover should be raised to ₹15 lakh.
Additionally, the report suggests increasing the number of beds reserved for Ayushman Bharat in private hospitals. As per this proposal, an additional 4 lakh beds should be reserved for Ayushman Bharat in private hospitals. Currently, 7.22 lakh beds in private hospitals are reserved under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. It is proposed to increase this number to 9.32 lakh by 2026-27 and to 11.12 lakh by 2028-29.
The group of secretaries was tasked with setting targets and timelines for the next 5 years and preparing a future plan. The group includes representatives from 9 ministries, including sports, culture, education, health, and AYUSH. The group has finalized its plan, which is expected to be presented in detail to the Cabinet Secretary soon.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
