Ayushman Bharat completes eight years

New Delhi, Sep 23, 2026 : Ayushman Bharat – the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana has completed eight years today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched this scheme in September 2018 from Ranchi, Jharkhand, which has become the world’s largest government-funded health assurance scheme.

Prime Minister Modi said that the scheme has enabled record savings on medical expenses and benefited the poor and middle class. In a social media post, Mr Modi said that eight years ago, Ayushman Bharat was rolled out with the idea that every Indian should have access to top-quality and affordable healthcare. He said, today, more than 60 crore beneficiaries have access to five lakh annual health cover, making it the largest healthcare scheme in the world. The Prime Minister said, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have already recorded over 500 crore visits, strengthening primary healthcare at the grassroots.

Our correspondent reports that more than 48 crore 54 lakh Ayushman cards have been created so far. Over the past eight years, around 13 crore beneficiaries have availed cashless treatment, and the government has spent more than two lakh crore rupees on it.

Under the scheme, a total of 38 thousand government and private hospitals have been empanelled. The scheme is now being implemented across all 36 States and Union Territories, marking a significant milestone in expanding healthcare access and strengthening the delivery of secondary and tertiary care services across the country.

Recently, the Modi government has extended the benefits of this scheme to senior citizens of 70 years and 37 lakh families of ASHAs and anganwadi workers. The main aim of the scheme is to provide universal health care to the poor, needy and vulnerable sections of the country.

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda today said that the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana scheme has transformed healthcare access for millions across the country.

On the 8th anniversary of the scheme, Mr Nadda said that the scheme is turning the promise of quality healthcare and financial protection into a reality for families across the country. Nadda also said that the scheme is covering more than half a billion people across the country.

In a social media post, he emphasised that the world’s largest Health Assurance Scheme has covered more than sixty crore people. The Minister further said that guided by the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government remains steadfast in its commitment to strengthen an accessible, affordable and inclusive healthcare system. He added that the Government is also ensuring that every citizen can access quality healthcare with dignity and without financial hardship.