A Study on the Coverage & Utilization of Ayushman Bharat Scheme among Urban Families of Gujarat

Abstract

Introduction: Several public health insurance schemes have been tried in India to improve access to health services and minimize the economic impact, especially for economically vulnerable population. Government of India launched Ayushman Bharat Yojna in September 2018, this is also known as Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM- JAY) and National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS), which provide a coverage of five lakhs per household for taking health care services during hospitalization.Aim: The study was done to assess the coverage and utilisation of Ayushman Bharat scheme on urban families of Gujarat. Methodology:A cross sectional study was conducted in the urban area of Vadodara district of Gujarat. A simple random sampling was done, and 207 households were selected. Data was collected using semi- structured tool from 205 households only, after data entry the descriptive statistics were presented in frequency tables.Results: The study revealed that out of 205households, only 68% of households were covered under Ayushman Bharat Scheme. Out of 205 households, 24% ofhouseholds faced hospitalization during last 365 days and out of those households faced hospitalization only 60% availed the benefits of Ayushman Bharat Scheme, 26% done expenditure from household income & saving and rest 14% paid their expenditure by borrowing. Conclusion: Ayushman Bharat (PMJAY) is a Government funded scheme covering health insurance up to five lakhs annually to the beneficiaries.The coverage of the PM- JAY is good in majority of state in India.