Union Health Minister Shri J.P. Nadda inaugurated Arogya Manthan 2026 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, marking eight years of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) and five years of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). The event was organized by the National Health Authority and brought together government officials, healthcare providers, insurers, technology experts, and other stakeholders to deliberate on India's health assurance and digital health ecosystem progress.
AB PM-JAY has emerged as the world's largest health assurance programme, covering over 60 crore beneficiaries and facilitating over 13 crore hospital admissions involving treatment worth more than ₹2 lakh crores. The scheme has been expanded to cover all senior citizens aged 70 years and above irrespective of their socio-economic status. The portability feature under the scheme has been particularly beneficial for migrant workers.
Under ABDM, significant digital infrastructure has been created with more than 97.8 crore ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) IDs generated and over 121 crore health records linked. The ecosystem includes more than 5.6 lakh health facilities and around 11 lakh healthcare professionals registered. The National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX) is being developed to bring hospitals and insurers onto a common digital platform.
Several new digital initiatives were launched at the event including the National Healthcare Providers Registry (NHPR) Mobile App, NHCX Implementation Guide for Payers, Guidebook for a Model Digital Health Facility, Secure Data Environment (SDE) application, and Framework for Auto-Adjudication of Claims under AB PM-JAY. The Secure Data Environment, developed with support from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, is designed as a governed environment for access to and analysis of AB PM-JAY and ABDM health data with appropriate safeguards for personal data protection.
The event recognized states and union territories for excellence in implementation across various categories. Under AB PM-JAY, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, and Jammu & Kashmir were recognized for highest card saturation among ASHA, Anganwadi Worker and Anganwadi Helper beneficiaries. Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat were top-performing states in claim settlement for inter-State portability. Under ABDM, Bihar, Ladakh, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli were top-performing states/UTs across model districts, while Chandigarh, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh were recognized for highest number of sub-centres using ABDM-enabled Health Management Information Systems.
Key speakers including Dr. M. Srinivas (Niti Aayog), Shri Ajay Seth (IRDAI Chairman), and Dr. Rajiv Bahl (ICMR DG) emphasized the need for continued focus on quality healthcare, standardization of treatment protocols, wider adoption of digital health infrastructure, and strengthening of the health insurance ecosystem through interoperability and transparency.