JP Nadda to Roll Out Ayushman Bharat Scheme in Odisha on April 11

JP Nadda to Roll Out Ayushman Bharat Scheme in Odisha on April 11

Union Health & Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda will visit Odisha to launch the Ayushman Bharat Yojana on April 11, announced Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal. Nadda will arrive in Bhubaneswar on the night of April 10 and later participate in a training program with BJP MLAs and MPs.

The Odisha government is set to integrate the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) with the existing Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana (GJAY), formerly known as Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY). This merger will provide a unified health card to beneficiaries, covering around 3.52 crore people from 1.08 crore families.

Under this integration, 67.8 lakh families will be covered under AB-PMJAY, while the Odisha government will extend health coverage to the remaining beneficiaries through GJAY. The process is in its final stages, with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) assigned to update software for seamless hospital billing and claims processing.

The Odisha government will bear the cost for additional beneficiaries and treatment packages not covered under AB-PMJAY. Unlike the previous BSKY scheme, now renamed GJAY, each beneficiary will receive an individual health card under the combined scheme. Additionally, elderly citizens above 70 years will get a special card under the Ayushman Vay Vandana scheme.

Previously, families were issued separate health cards for men and women. Now, each of the 3.52 crore beneficiaries will receive their own individual health card. To ensure a smooth transition, Aadhaar-linked identification will allow beneficiaries to access medical services even before receiving their new cards.

Health department officials have assured that the integration will not cause delays in healthcare services, ensuring continued access to medical benefits across empanelled hospitals.