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The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), commonly known as Ayushman Bharat, remains one of the world’s most ambitious public health insurance schemes. A recent statement laid in the Lok Sabha provides a crucial snapshot of its reach in four of India’s most populous states: Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh.

For beneficiaries, healthcare providers, and policymakers, understanding these numbers is key. Let’s break down the official data as of January 2026.

The Big Picture: Families Covered (in Crores)

The primary metric of the scheme’s penetration is the number of families issued the vital Ayushman Card, their gateway to cashless treatment. Here’s how the four states stack up:

State	Number of Families Issued Ayushman Cards (in Crores)
Uttar Pradesh	1.26 Crore
Bihar	1.16 Crore
Madhya Pradesh	0.89 Crore
Andhra Pradesh	0.59 Crore

What this tells us:

1. Scale of Implementation: Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, with their vast populations, lead in absolute numbers, showcasing a massive enrollment drive.
2. Significant Reach: Cumulatively, these four states have provided health security to over 3.9 Crore (39+ million) families under PM-JAY as of early 2026. This translates to crores of individuals who now have access to secondary and tertiary hospitalization coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year.

Behind the Cards: The Hospital Network

A card is only as good as the network it can be used in. The scheme’s success heavily relies on a robust empanelment of hospitals. The data reveals a healthy mix of public and private participation:

State	Public Hospitals Empanelled	Private Hospitals Empanelled	Total
Uttar Pradesh	2,926	3,413	6,339
Andhra Pradesh	1,416	1,053	2,469
Madhya Pradesh	1,113	823	1,936
Bihar	430	723	1,153

Key Takeaway: The availability of over 12,000 empanelled hospitals across these states ensures beneficiaries have accessible points of care. Uttar Pradesh’s exceptionally high number indicates a deeply entrenched network.

The Assurance: Claim Settlement & Fraud Prevention

The Lok Sabha statement also addressed two critical operational pillars:

• Claim Settlement Time: The system mandates a strict turnaround time (TAT). Claims for hospitals within the state must be settled within 15 days, and for portability cases (treatment in another state), within 30 days. This promise of timely reimbursement is crucial for keeping hospitals engaged and trust high.
• Zero-Tolerance to Fraud: To protect the scheme’s integrity and ensure benefits reach genuine patients, the government has deployed a technology-driven, “zero-tolerance” anti-fraud framework. The National Anti-Fraud Unit (NAFU) uses AI/ML-based triggers to flag suspicious patterns like duplicate claims or identity misuse. Regular audits and capacity building further strengthen this shield.

The Road Ahead: Expanding the Safety Net

The government’s plan for expansion is already in motion. Recent inclusions have broadened the net beyond the socio-economic census-based eligibility:

• Inclusion of ASHA, Anganwadi workers, and helpers (March 2024).
• A landmark extension to all senior citizens aged 70 and above (October 2024), covering an estimated 6 crore individuals.
• Many states are also using their own resources to add more families under state-specific extensions.

Conclusion

The numbers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh paint a picture of significant and growing coverage. Issuing crores of Ayushman Cards and building a network of thousands of hospitals forms the bedrock of this healthcare revolution. The focus now is not just on volume but on quality, efficiency, and sustainability—ensuring seamless claim settlement, preventing fraud, and continuously expanding the safety net to leave no eligible family behind.

For any beneficiary: If you belong to an eligible family in these states and haven’t received your Ayushman Card, you can contact your local Common Service Centre (CSC), Ayushman Bharat kiosk at an empanelled hospital, or the state helpline to check your eligibility and initiate the process. Your right to affordable healthcare is now backed by a system of impressive scale.