Ayushman Bharat Allocation Steady at Rs 9,500 Crore; Gig Workers to Get Coverage

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman allocated Rs 9,500 crore to Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) for FY27, a marginal increase from FY26.
• The scheme currently covers 12 crore families, with many states expanding the beneficiary base at their own cost.
• West Bengal is the only state that has not adopted the Ayushman Bharat healthcare plan.
• Since its launch in 2018, 42.48 crore Ayushman Cards have been created, and 10.98 crore hospital admissions worth Rs 1.60 lakh crore have been authorized.
• Ayushman Bharat, launched by PM Modi, is the world's largest health insurance scheme, providing Rs 5 lakh annual coverage per family for secondary and tertiary care.

Why It Matters: Ayushman Bharat's allocation remains stable, expanding coverage to gig workers and continuing its global impact.