New Delhi, Sep 2026 : As Ayushman Bharat completes eight years since its launch, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday highlighted the scheme's expanding reach, saying it was envisioned to ensure that every Indian has access to quality and affordable healthcare.
The Prime Minister said more than 60 crore beneficiaries are now covered under Ayushman Bharat, with access to annual health coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh. He described the initiative as the world's largest healthcare scheme and said it has helped strengthen financial protection for families facing major medical expenses.
Taking to social media platform X, Modi said Ayushman Bharat was launched eight years ago with the objective of ensuring that every Indian could access high-quality and affordable healthcare. He noted that the scheme has since expanded to cover more than 60 crore people with Rs 5 lakh annual health cover.
According to the Prime Minister, the scheme has also resulted in substantial savings on medical expenses, particularly benefiting poor and middle-class families. He said healthcare services were increasingly being brought closer to people's homes through the expansion of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
"Healthcare is moving closer to every doorstep," Modi said, noting that Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have collectively recorded more than 500 crore visits. He extended his wishes to beneficiaries of the scheme on the completion of eight years.
The Prime Minister also shared a post by MyGovIndia outlining the achievements of Ayushman Bharat over the past eight years.
According to MyGovIndia, free treatment provided under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) has helped families save more than Rs 2 lakh crore in healthcare expenses. The scheme's network has also expanded significantly, with more than 38,000 hospitals now participating across the country.
MyGovIndia said Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY has facilitated more than 13 crore hospital admissions, demonstrating the scale at which the health protection programme is being utilised by beneficiaries.
The government platform also highlighted the expansion of coverage for senior citizens. Around six crore people aged above 70 years are now covered under Ayushman Bharat, irrespective of their socio-economic status.
Primary healthcare has emerged as another major component of the programme. As many as 1.86 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been established to bring essential healthcare services closer to communities. More than 500 crore visits to these centres have been recorded, reflecting their growing role in providing primary healthcare.
MyGovIndia also pointed to the participation of women in the scheme, stating that nearly one in every two Ayushman Cards has been issued to women.
The post further highlighted the preventive healthcare component of Ayushman Bharat. More than 42 crore screenings for diabetes and hypertension have been conducted, besides crores of screenings for oral, breast and cervical cancers. These screenings are aimed at detecting health risks at an early stage and enabling timely medical intervention.
Another feature highlighted by MyGovIndia was the portability of Ayushman Bharat coverage. More than 30 lakh treatments valued at over Rs 8,800 crore have reportedly been availed by beneficiaries outside their home states, allowing eligible patients to access treatment across state boundaries.
With more than 60 crore people covered and an annual health protection limit of Rs 5 lakh, the scheme has emerged as a major component of India's publicly supported healthcare framework.
MyGovIndia said the programme's eight-year journey represents the expansion of health protection from a policy commitment into healthcare support experienced by millions of families across the country.
