What is the story about?
West Bengal’s new BJP government has announced the rollout of the Centre’s flagship health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), marking a major policy shift in the state’s public healthcare framework.
Rollout announced after cabinet meeting
After chairing his first cabinet meeting, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the state government had approved six key decisions, including the implementation of the health insurance programme. The announcement comes shortly after the BJP formed government in the state for the first time.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the decision, saying it would ensure “seamless delivery” of central welfare schemes under what he described as a “double-engine government” model, where both the Centre and the state are governed by the same party.
What is Ayushman Bharat?
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana is a government-funded health protection programme that provides cashless hospitalisation coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care.
The scheme is designed to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses and improve access to quality healthcare in empanelled public and private hospitals.
Who will be eligible in West Bengal?
With the rollout announcement, West Bengal is expected to adopt the national eligibility framework under AB-PMJAY:
The final state-level beneficiary list will be aligned with central guidelines once implementation begins.
How can eligible residents apply?
Based on the standard AB-PMJAY process followed across states, beneficiaries typically access the scheme in the following ways:
Once implemented in West Bengal, residents will be able to check eligibility and generate cards through official PMJAY enrolment centres and designated hospitals.
-With PTI inputs
Rollout announced after cabinet meeting
After chairing his first cabinet meeting, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the state government had approved six key decisions, including the implementation of the health insurance programme. The announcement comes shortly after the BJP formed government in the state for the first time.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the decision, saying it would ensure “seamless delivery” of central welfare schemes under what he described as a “double-engine government” model, where both the Centre and the state are governed by the same party.
What is Ayushman Bharat?
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana is a government-funded health protection programme that provides cashless hospitalisation coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care.
The scheme is designed to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses and improve access to quality healthcare in empanelled public and private hospitals.
Who will be eligible in West Bengal?
With the rollout announcement, West Bengal is expected to adopt the national eligibility framework under AB-PMJAY:
- Families identified under the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) database
- Economically vulnerable households as per government-defined deprivation criteria
- All senior citizens aged 70 years and above, regardless of income (as per expanded central eligibility norms)
- Beneficiaries will receive cashless treatment up to ₹5 lakh per family per year
The final state-level beneficiary list will be aligned with central guidelines once implementation begins.
How can eligible residents apply?
Based on the standard AB-PMJAY process followed across states, beneficiaries typically access the scheme in the following ways:
- Automatic inclusion based on SECC data (no separate application in most cases)
- Verification at empanelled hospitals or Ayushman Bharat kiosks
- Aadhaar-based identity verification for eligibility confirmation
- Issuance of an Ayushman card for cashless treatment access
Once implemented in West Bengal, residents will be able to check eligibility and generate cards through official PMJAY enrolment centres and designated hospitals.
-With PTI inputs
