Women Constitute 49% of Hospital Admissions Under AB-PMJAY: NHA Report 2024-25

According to the National Health Authority’s (NHA) Annual Report 2024-25, women account for 49% of total hospital admissions under India’s flagship health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), signaling improved access to institutional healthcare for women.

Top Treatments Availed

The report highlights the most common treatments under AB-PMJAY:

• Haemodialysis: 14% of admissions
• Multiple packages: 7%
• Acute febrile illness treatment: 4%
• Acute gastroenteritis, cataract, and related procedures: 3%

About AB-PMJAY

• Launch Year: 2018
• Coverage: Health cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year
• Current Reach:
  • 35 States and Union Territories (except West Bengal)
  • 15.14 crore eligible families
  • Additional 8.57 crore families under state-specific schemes
• Recent Additions: Odisha and Delhi have joined the scheme.
• Eligibility criteria for the beneficiary families: Initially identified from the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) of 2011.

Key Initiatives and Expansions

• Aapke Dwar Ayushman (ADA 3.0): Technology-driven, community-based self-registration campaigns empowering citizens at the grassroots.
• Frontline Workers Inclusion (2023 Interim Budget): 37 lakh families of ASHAs, Anganwadi workers, and helpers added to AB-PMJAY coverage.
• Senior Citizens Coverage (2024): Union Cabinet approved expansion to all citizens aged 70+, irrespective of income or socio-economic status.

Healthcare Access Patterns

• Public Hospitals: Crucial in rural and low-income districts.
• Private Facilities: Predominantly cater to high-value procedures in fields like oncology, cardiology, and orthopaedics.

Significance

The report reflects progress towards gender equity in healthcare access and underscores the growing impact of AB-PMJAY in strengthening India’s health insurance ecosystem, especially for vulnerable populations.