Only 2,113 hospitals joined Ayushman Bharat in FY 2024–25, reflecting a decline in private sector interest despite a growing national network of empanelled hospitals.
The number of hospitals newly empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) declined to 2,113 in 2024–25, down from 3,124 in 2022–23 and 4,271 in 2023–24. Minister of State for Health, Prataprao Jadhav, shared the figures in a recent written reply in Parliament, highlighting a slowdown in onboarding despite the overall rise in cumulative empanelment.
According to The Economic Times, 31,466 hospitals are part of the scheme across India, including 14,194 from the private sector. The scheme’s Health Benefit Package (HBP) has been updated five times since launch, with the latest version HBP 2022 covering 1,961 procedures across 27 specialties.
However, the pace of fresh enrolments has raised concerns about the scheme’s long-term viability, particularly its ability to attract and retain private hospitals. Industry stakeholders point to two key issues: delays in claim settlements and unviable package rates. Although guidelines mandate claim payments within 15 days for intra-state cases and 30 days for portability claims, delays persist, especially for large hospital chains and high-cost procedures.
The Indian Medical Association’s Haryana chapter recently voiced dissatisfaction over payment delays and signalled that private hospitals in the state may consider withdrawing from the scheme. The development adds pressure on the National Health Authority to streamline payment mechanisms and reassess reimbursement structures to maintain private sector participation especially as AB-PMJAY plays an expanding role in India’s universal health coverage efforts.
For policymakers, the challenge remains: how to balance affordability with provider incentives to ensure equitable and sustainable care delivery.
