National Health Accounts figures indicate high burden of health care costs on people Context:As per the latest figures from the National Health Accounts (NHA) Estimates for India 2022-23, out-of-pocket ex-penditure (OOPE) is nearly half of the current health expenditure, and financial protection for health emergencies remains incomplete, though government and insurance spending has increased. The share of Government Health Ex-penditure (GHE) as a per-centage of the GDP has ri-sen from 1.15% in 2013-14 to 1.43% in 2022-23, and as per the new GDP series, it will be 1.48% in 2022-23. Stated that Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) and associated government health insurance schemes are failing to provide substantial protection to people from high healthcare spending. About Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) was introduced in September 2018 as the flagship programme of the Ayushman Bharat mission. It is regarded as the world’s largest publicly funded health insurance scheme. The scheme seeks to promote Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and reduce the burden of huge medical expenses At the national level, the programme is administered by the National Health Authority (NHA) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, while State Health Agencies (SHAs) oversee implementation in respective states. Coverage and Financial Structure PM-JAY offers health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family annually. It mainly includes secondary and tertiary hospitalization care, while outpatient primary care is excluded. The scheme covers expenses for up to 3 days before hospitalization, including tests and consultations, and up to 15 days after discharge for medicines and follow-up treatment. Funding Pattern PM-JAY functions as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with shared financial responsibility between the Centre and States: 60:40 for regular States and Union Territories with legislatures. 90:10 for North-Eastern and…
