Released Rs 3,520 cr in last two years to states under AB-PMJAY: Health Minister

The Health Ministry has released Rs 3,520 crore in last two years to states under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan informed Parliament on Tuesday.

Replying to a question in Rajya Sabha, Vardhan said the reasons for slow utilization of funds allocated under the health insurance scheme was because four states West Bengal, Telangana, Odisha and Delhi which account for 20 per cent of the eligible beneficiary population, were not implementing the scheme.

"Two big states (Punjab & Rajasthan) have joined AB-PMJAY only in late 2019. Large states (UP, MP and Bihar) which account for 30 per cent of the beneficiary population are implementing the scheme for the first time and hence, their demand is still picking up," he said, explaining the reasons for the slow utilization of funds.

Vardhan said the experience of the last 16 months showed the average premium amount is Rs 800 per family per annum, however, this had been estimated at Rs 1,052 at the time of the inception of the scheme.

Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana is India's flagship public health insurance scheme.