According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday (June 7), the rollout will extend the Centre’s flagship health assurance scheme to eligible beneficiaries in the state, providing health cover of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.
The ministry said implementation of PM-JAY in West Bengal is expected to provide financial protection against catastrophic health expenditure, improve access to affordable healthcare and enable portability of benefits across the country.
The Centre’s statement, however, does not spell out what will happen to West Bengal’s existing Swasthya Sathi health insurance scheme once PM-JAY is rolled out.
According to a report by The Economic Times in May, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had said around six crore beneficiaries covered under Swasthya Sathi would receive Ayushman Bharat benefits from July.
The report said the state government planned to bring Swasthya Sathi beneficiaries under the PM-JAY framework, although detailed implementation guidelines were yet to be announced.
Separately, The Times of India reported that private hospitals in the state had sought clarity on the transition, noting that Swasthya Sathi currently covers a broader beneficiary base than PM-JAY. Citing discussions with state authorities, the report said the two schemes could initially operate together before any eventual integration.
As of now, neither the PIB statement nor details released ahead of the MoU signing specify whether Swasthya Sathi will continue as a standalone scheme, run alongside PM-JAY, or be merged into the central programme.
The signing of the MoU will make West Bengal the latest state to adopt AB PM-JAY, completing the scheme’s rollout across all States and Union Territories.
