New Delhi: Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda inaugurated Arogya Manthan 2026 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, marking eight years of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) and five years of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
Organised by the National Health Authority (NHA), the event brought together government officials, healthcare providers, insurers, technology experts, researchers, academia and other stakeholders to review the progress of India’s health assurance and digital health systems.
The event also marked the launch of several new initiatives, including a National Healthcare Providers Registry Mobile App, Secure Data Environment, NHCX Implementation Guide for Payers, Model Digital Health Facility Guidebook and an Auto-Adjudication Framework for AB PM-JAY claims.
AB PM-JAY Crosses 60 Crore Beneficiary Mark
Speaking at the event, J.P. Nadda highlighted the expansion of AB PM-JAY since its launch in 2018.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the scheme now covers more than 60 crore beneficiaries and has facilitated over 13 crore hospital admissions, involving treatment worth more than ₹2 lakh crore.
The scheme has also expanded beyond its original beneficiary base. All citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of socio-economic status, are now covered under AB PM-JAY. The expansion brought around six crore additional senior citizens within the health assurance framework.
Portability has also emerged as an important feature of the scheme, allowing beneficiaries to access eligible treatment across locations. This is particularly relevant for migrant workers and families who move between states.
Read also: ₹285 Crore Push for India’s Indigenous ePlane as Ubifly Targets TRL-9
ABDM Builds India’s Digital Health Backbone
The other major milestone at Arogya Manthan 2026 was the completion of five years of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.
ABDM was launched in September 2021 to build a connected and interoperable digital health ecosystem. Its key components include Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHAs), the Healthcare Professionals Registry and Health Facility Registry.
As of September 1, 2026, more than 97.8 crore ABHAs had been created, while more than 121 crore health records had been linked. The ABDM ecosystem also had more than 5.6 lakh health facilities and around 11 lakh healthcare professionals registered.
The digital infrastructure is intended to make health information more accessible across participating healthcare systems while supporting interoperability and citizen-focused services.
Secure Data Environment to Support Health Research
A major initiative launched at Arogya Manthan 2026 was the Secure Data Environment (SDE).
Developed by NHA with support from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, the SDE is designed as a controlled environment for accessing and analysing AB PM-JAY and ABDM health data.
Approved organisations will be able to work with de-identified data or run approved code within an isolated NHA environment. Outputs will undergo review before release.
The system is intended to support health research, programme planning, outcome analysis and responsible artificial intelligence innovation, while incorporating safeguards for personal data protection.
Technology Push for Faster AB PM-JAY Claims
The NHA also launched an Auto-Adjudication Framework for AB PM-JAY claims.
The framework aims to use technology, data and automated processes to streamline claims adjudication under the health assurance programme.
NHA CEO Sunil Kumar Barnwal highlighted the scale of the programme and said AB PM-JAY had generated more than 13 crore patient records. He noted that the new data environment could allow such information to support research and health analytics while protecting patient identities.
The move comes alongside efforts to strengthen the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX), which seeks to bring hospitals and insurers onto a common digital platform.
NHCX Gets Focus for Health Insurance Reform
The National Health Claims Exchange was a key subject of discussion during the event.
A dedicated session examined how NHCX can support standardised and technology-driven health insurance processes. Discussions covered digital claims infrastructure, coordination between hospitals and insurers, and ways to improve efficiency in health financing.
IRDAI Chairman Ajay Seth highlighted the importance of standardisation and transparency in health insurance. He pointed to areas such as ABHA-based identity, treatment codification, standard billing formats and treatment protocols.
The broader objective is to create a more interoperable health insurance ecosystem in which citizens, hospitals, insurers and technology providers can work through common digital systems.
Focus on Quality, Standardisation and Patient-Centric Care
The next phase of India’s health programmes will not focus only on expanding coverage. Speakers at Arogya Manthan 2026 also highlighted the need to improve the quality and continuity of healthcare.
Dr. M. Srinivas, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, called for stronger continuity of care, quality improvements and seamless referral mechanisms for patients requiring specialised treatment.
He also stressed wider adoption of ABHA and interoperability of health records, with citizen consent and appropriate safeguards.
Dr. Rajiv Bahl, DG ICMR and Secretary, Department of Health Research, highlighted the importance of standardised treatment. He noted that ICMR has developed more than 150 standard treatment workflows and guidelines.
He also highlighted the role of Health Technology Assessment in India (HTAIn) in evaluating the cost-effectiveness of healthcare technologies and interventions.
States and UTs Recognised for Performance
Arogya Manthan 2026 also recognised States and Union Territories for their performance under AB PM-JAY and ABDM.
Under AB PM-JAY, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Jammu & Kashmir were recognised for the highest card saturation among ASHA, Anganwadi Worker and Anganwadi Helper beneficiaries in the large State, small State and Union Territory categories respectively.
Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Gujarat were recognised for performance in inter-State portability claim settlement.
Under ABDM, Bihar, Ladakh and Dadra and Nagar Haveli were recognised as top-performing States/UTs across model districts based on district population categories.
Chandigarh, Assam and Uttar Pradesh were recognised for the highest number of sub-centres using ABDM-enabled Health Management Information Systems in their respective categories.
From Health Assurance to a Connected Digital Ecosystem
The eight-year journey of AB PM-JAY and five years of ABDM show two interconnected aspects of India’s healthcare expansion: financial protection for eligible beneficiaries and the creation of digital infrastructure to support healthcare delivery.
The initiatives launched at Arogya Manthan 2026 indicate a further shift towards technology-enabled claims processing, secure health-data use, interoperability and standardised healthcare processes.
For citizens, the long-term significance lies in making health services easier to access and navigate while improving the systems that support treatment, insurance and health records.
As India expands its digital health infrastructure, the focus will increasingly be on combining coverage, quality, data security and patient-centric delivery to strengthen the country’s broader health ecosystem.
Read also: India Expands Patient-Safety Net as Centre Approves Biovigilance Programme
