Access, Equity, and Outcomes: A Policy Analysis of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana

Healthcare remains as a major determinant of human development in any country. India has made significant changes since independence in 1947 still low budgetary expenditure on healthcare is reflected in quality and capacity of healthcare system. This system pushes majority of population towards costly system of treatment in private sector. Health insurance has emerged as a tool for reducing risk and catastrophic out of pocket expenditure in post liberalisation era. Union Government launched Ayushman Bharat - PM JAY, a scheme to provide health insurance to bottom 40% Indian population. This paper critically examines PM-JAY through a comparative health systems framework, contrasting India’s tax-funded assurance model with the social insurance architectures of Germany and the single-payer system of South Korea.