West Bengal Joins Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY: Strengthening Cooperative Federalism and Universal Health Coverage

The West Bengal government’s decision to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) marks a pivotal shift in India’s public health landscape. For several years, the state had opted out of the central flagship scheme, relying instead on its own 'Swasthya Sathi' program. The integration of these two frameworks is expected to create a more robust and seamless safety net for the state’s vulnerable populations. The primary advantage of this move is the 'portability' of benefits. Under the national PM-JAY framework, beneficiaries can access cashless secondary and tertiary healthcare at any empanelled hospital across India. This is particularly significant for West Bengal, which has a substantial migrant worker population. Previously, these workers often lost their health cover when moving across state lines; now, they can avail treatment in their host states, significantly reducing catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE).