Ayushman Bharat: Patients prefer private hospitals for govt schemes

Despite accounting for 46% of hospital empanelments, private hospitals accounted for 54 per cent of 38 million hospital admissions under AB-PMJAY

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Analysis shows that some of the poorer states have not been able to take advantage of the scheme and the benefits have accrued to wealthier states and those with better health infrastructure

Sohini Das Ishaan Gera Mumbai/New Delhi

3 min read Last Updated : Sep 25 2022 | 11:06 PM IST

Government hospitals constitute 54 per cent of 28,311 empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), but a Business Standard analysis found that hospitalisations in private hospitals exceed their government peers.

Despite accounting for 46 per cent of hospital empanelments, private hospitals accounted for 54 per cent of 38 million hospital admissions under AB-PMJAY.

The average claim size, according to the ministry’s annual report of the scheme, was 51 per cent higher in private hospitals at Rs 13,730 per person, compared to Rs 9,045 in public hospitals.

Four years since it was launched, the scheme has issued 190 million cards. It is operational across 33 states and Union Territories. Delhi, Odisha, and West Bengal