Bhubaneswar: Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling announced on Friday that the printing of Ayushman Bharat health insurance cards is currently underway in Odisha as the state moves towards implementing the scheme.
The initiative will bring over 3.5 crore people under its coverage, with the rollout expected by the end of this month.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was recently signed in New Delhi between the Central and Odisha governments, clearing the way for the scheme’s implementation.
The state-run Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana (GJAY) will be merged with Ayushman Bharat, ensuring beneficiaries receive a single, unified health card for seamless healthcare access.
Under the scheme, each eligible family will receive Rs 5 lakh annual health insurance coverage, while women beneficiaries in Odisha will get Rs 10 lakh per year. The insurance will cover secondary and tertiary care hospitalizations at both public and private empanelled hospitals across India.
Beneficiaries will have cashless access to healthcare, covering pre-hospitalization expenses (up to three days) and post-hospitalization costs (up to 15 days), including diagnostics, medications, and follow-up care. The scheme has no restrictions on family size, age, or gender, and all pre-existing conditions will be covered.
Ayushman Bharat covers nearly 2,000 medical procedures across 27 specialities, including major surgeries such as bypass surgeries and knee replacements. It includes expenses for medications, diagnostics, physician fees, hospital stay, and surgical procedures.
The initiative will ensure continuous medical care for senior citizens above 70 years and provide access to treatment at over 29,000 hospitals across India, strengthening Odisha’s healthcare infrastructure.
