West Bengal to Join Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY in 2026, Integrating Swasthya Sathi Scheme

Key Facts

• West Bengal to join AB PM-JAY by signing MoU with National Health Authority on 8 June 2026.
• It will be the 36th State/Union Territory to implement the scheme nationwide.
• Approximately 1.36 crore families in West Bengal will be covered under AB PM-JAY, receiving health coverage up to ₹5 lakh annually for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.
• The state’s existing health insurance scheme, Swasthya Sathi, will be gradually merged into AB PM-JAY.
• Central Government allocated ₹3,505 crore for integration including hospital empanelment, technology infrastructure, and issuance of beneficiary cards.
• AB PM-JAY is implemented by the National Health Authority under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Background & Context

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) was launched by the Government of India in 2018 as a centrally sponsored health insurance scheme aimed at economically vulnerable families to provide cashless and paperless access to secondary and tertiary healthcare services across empanelled public and private hospitals nationwide. West Bengal had its own health insurance scheme called Swasthya Sathi, started in 2016, offering ₹5 lakh coverage per family per annum. Initially, West Bengal had not joined AB PM-JAY citing fiscal and administrative concerns. Following a change in political leadership at the state level in 2026, the state decided to join AB PM-JAY to expand healthcare access to a larger population under one unified scheme, leveraging both state and central resources.

Why This Matters for Exams / Exam Relevance

This announcement is significant for current affairs and governance topics related to healthcare policy, federal health schemes, and social welfare in India. The inclusion of West Bengal, a highly populous and politically important state, as the 36th participant in AB PM-JAY, marks an important milestone in India’s push toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Important examination points include the date (8 June 2026), the beneficiary scale (~1.36 crore families), scheme coverage amount (₹5 lakh per family per annum), budget allocation (₹3,505 crore), and merging of state-level schemes with central schemes. Understanding the roles of the National Health Authority and state governments enhances comprehension of health governance in India.

Points to Remember

• AB PM-JAY provides cashless health insurance coverage worth ₹5 lakh per family annually for hospitalization expenses including surgery, medicines, diagnostics, and pre/post-hospitalization costs.
• The scheme covers secondary and tertiary care hospitalizations in empanelled hospitals across India, comprising both public and private institutions.
• West Bengal’s Swasthya Sathi scheme also offers ₹5 lakh coverage but will be gradually integrated with AB PM-JAY to unify benefits and administration.
• West Bengal signed the MoU to join AB PM-JAY on 8 June 2026; scheme rollout scheduled from July 2026.
• The Central government’s financial support of ₹3,505 crore to West Bengal covers integration activities such as hospital empanelment, IT infrastructure, and beneficiary enrollment/card issuance.
• AB PM-JAY is overseen by the National Health Authority under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• This integration aligns state and central healthcare efforts to expand access and reduce out-of-pocket health expenses for a large vulnerable population.