- By Kamakshi Bishnoi
- Mon, 08 Jun 2026 09:29 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a significant step towards Universal Health Coverage, West Bengal has formally integrated into Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), becoming the 36th State/ Union Territory to embrace the Centre's major health insurance scheme.
An MoU was signed between the National Health Authority (NHA), functioning under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the West Bengal Health Department. With this, all states and Union territories have adopted the AB PM-JAY scheme.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda called this 'a historic milestone in the journey of the country' to provide affordable and accessible healthcare across the nation.
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What The Scheme Offers
AB PM-JAY provides:
-Cashless treatment up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year
-Medical consultation, treatment and diagnostic services
-Both intensive and non-intensive care services
-Medicines and medical consumables
-Laboratory and diagnostic investigations
-Hospital accommodation benefits
-Medical implants and procedures
-Pre-hospitalisation expenses (up to 3 days before admission)
-Post-hospitalisation follow-up care (up to 15 days after discharge)
Welcoming the AB PM-JAY in the State, CM Suvendhu Adhikari added that almost 1.24 crore eligible families of the state now avail of health cover under the scheme with a strengthened financial safety net and enhanced access to healthcare services.
Officials stated that with the provision of over 12 crore hospital treatments with a value of Rs 1.82 lakh crore have already been enabled with the provision of the scheme, which in turn reduced the expenses on out-of-pocket expenditure on healthcare in India.
Who Is Eligible For Ayushman Bharat Card?
Eligibility is based primarily on the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 database.
Urban Households:
- Ragpickers, beggars, domestic workers
- Street vendors, hawkers, cobblers
- Construction workers, sanitation workers, plumbers, labourers, welders, painters, security guards
- Handicraft workers, artisans, tailors
- Transport workers
- Shop assistants, delivery workers and similar occupations
Rural Households
- Families living in single-room kutcha houses
- Households without any adult member aged 16-59
- SC/ST households
- Female-headed households
- Families with disabled members
- Landless families dependent on daily wage labour
Senior Citizens
- All individuals aged 70 years and above, in both rural and urban areas
- Senior citizens under ECHS, CGHS or Ayushman CAPF may continue or shift to PM-JAY
- Those under private insurance or ESIC are also eligible to avail benefits
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How To Apply Online For Ayushman Card
Online:
- Visit the official portal: pmjay.gov.in
- Click on “Am I Eligible”
- Enter captcha, mobile number and OTP
- Log in to the portal
- Select state and scheme (PMJAY), then district
- Search using Aadhaar, ration card, name or mobile number
- Click on e-KYC option
- Verify using Aadhaar OTP and give consent
- Complete OTP verification process
- After successful e-KYC, wait 15-20 minutes
- Log in again and download Ayushman Card
Offline:
Beneficiaries can visit:
- Nearest Common Service Centre (CSC)
- Empanelled hospitals under PM-JAY
- Carry required documents and complete verification with assistance from officials.
- Documents Required For Ayushman Card
- Applicants must provide:
- Aadhaar Card or PAN Card (identity proof)
- Address proof
- Caste certificate (if applicable)
- Mobile number and email ID
- Income certificate (where required)
Why This Matters
The introduction of AB PM-JAY in West Bengal represents a huge growth in India’s public health system and would cut on families' expenses while securing adequate treatment at no cost to the user.
Officials claimed that with this scheme, India’s goal of “Swasth Bharat, Swasth Bengal” becomes more robust and will guarantee medical safety to lakhs of Indians.