Ayushman Bharat Budget 2026: Allocation May Soar Past ₹10,000 Crore

• Ayushman Bharat scheme's allocation for Union Budget 2026 (FY27) is projected to exceed ₹10,000 crore, driven by consistently higher actual expenditures.
• The scheme's budget has seen continuous increases, from ₹1,998 crore in FY19 to ₹9,406 crore allocated for FY26, with experts expecting actual FY26 spending to surpass ₹10,000 crore.
• Fund utilization shows significant disparity: Tamil Nadu leads with 129% utilization, followed by Kerala and Karnataka, indicating strong implementation.
• North Indian states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Maharashtra show low utilization rates (under 15% or 7.4%), despite millions of cards issued, pointing to awareness or implementation gaps.
• The scheme provides an annual health cover of up to ₹5 lakh per economically weaker family and now includes all individuals above 70 years, regardless of financial status.

Why It Matters: Ayushman Bharat's budget is set to cross ₹10,000 crore in 2026 due to rising expenditure and expanding reach.