Odisha became the 34th state to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) after the National Health Authority (NHA) of the Union Ministry of Health entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Odisha.

The agreement was signed at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, between L. S. Changsan, Additional Secretary, MoHFW and Chief Executive Officer of NHA and Aswathy S., Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Odisha.

The signing ceremony was presided by Jagat Prakash Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare & Chemicals and Fertilizers in the presence of Mohan Charan Majhi, Chief Minister of Odisha; Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education; Jual Oram, Union Minister of Tribal Affairs; Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting & Electronics and Information Technology; Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Deputy Chief Minister of Odisha; and Dr. Mukesh Mahaling, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Parliamentary Affairs & Electronics and Information Technology, Government of Odisha.

The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) will be implemented in convergence with the existing Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana (GJAY) in Odisha. It will provide a cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family per annum with additional Rs. 5 lakh for women members. A total of approximately 1.03 crore families will come under the converged scheme with 67.8 lakh families supported by the Union Government.

Addressing the gathering, J. P. Nadda remarked, "Today is a historic day for Odisha. AB PM-JAY is not only the world's largest health coverage scheme but also the fastest to be implemented since conception.”

“The scheme is fully digitized and covers approximately 45% of India's population,” said Nadda.

He also stated that the Prime Minister launched the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card in October 2024 which will benefit approximately 6 crore people aged 70 years and above.

Highlighting the impact of AB PM-JAY, Nadda shared, “Since the inception of the scheme, 8.19 crore hospital admissions have been recorded, with Rs. 1.13 lakh crore spent on providing healthcare to marginalized sections of society.”

He clarified, “This increase in hospital admissions is not due to a rise in diseases, but rather due to the enhanced accessibility to affordable healthcare.”

The Union Minister also shared that nearly 2,000 medical procedures across 27 specialties are covered under AB PM-JAY, including major surgeries like bypass surgeries and knee replacements.