The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) was announced in Delhi on Saturday. It offers free treatment and health insurance coverage of up to Rs. 10 lakh per family. With this, Delhi has become the 35th state/union territory to implement the health insurance scheme.
As the MoU has been signed, the process of registering beneficiaries and issuing the cards will commence. The citizens will be able to register via the Ayushman Bharat mobile app or the official web portal using Aadhaar and mobile number verification.
According to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the health cards will be issued to 2.35 lakh families in the first phase. The process will begin on April 10.
"Hearty congratulations to the people of Delhi. Today, the Ayushman scheme has been implemented in Delhi, and the people of Delhi are finally getting what they are entitled to. I thank the central government and PM Narendra Modi for this," the chief minister said in a congratulatory message to the people of Delhi.
What Are The Benefits Of Ayushman Scheme?
The Ayushman Bharat scheme provides free and cashless treatment for 1,961 medical procedures across 27 specialities, covering the costs of medicines, diagnostic services, hospitalisation, ICU care, surgeries and more. Under it, eligible families in Delhi will receive an annual health coverage of up to Rs 10 lakh – Rs 5 lakh from the Centre and the same amount as a top-up from the Delhi government.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Delhi government and the National Health Authority in the presence of Union Health Minister J P Nadda and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, among others. The National Health Authority is the apex body responsible for the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme.
BJP, which came to power in Delhi in February after a gap of more than 26 years, approved the implementation of the scheme at its first cabinet meeting, right after Gupta and six of her ministers took the oath of office on February 20.