West Bengal Reinstates Ayushman Bharat, Expands Healthcare Coverage to Senior Citizens

The state government has decided to retain Swasthya Sathi alongside Ayushman Bharat, allowing both healthcare programs to operate together.

In a significant step to strengthen the state’s healthcare infrastructure, the government of West Bengal has announced the resumption of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana following the state's 2019 withdrawal from the scheme.

The latest announcement was made by the newly elected Chief Minister of West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, while addressing his first cabinet meeting.

Sharing the development through an official social media post, the West Bengal CM stated that the people of West Bengal will benefit from the flagship national health care scheme.

According to reports, the state government has decided to retain Swasthya Sathi alongside Ayushman Bharat, allowing both healthcare programs to operate together.

The arrangement is intended to support wider healthcare access and financial protection for patients requiring hospitalisation and medical treatment.

Under the implementation framework, beneficiaries are expected to receive access to cashless healthcare services across empanelled hospitals through the Ayushman Bharat system, while state residents covered under Swasthya Sathi will continue to receive benefits through the existing state scheme.

The latest development is also expected to strengthen healthcare access for senior citizens through expanded insurance coverage and integration with national healthcare initiatives.

Meanwhile, Several hospitals across Kolkata have reportedly started preparing for the possible rollout or convergence of Ayushman Bharat with West Bengal’s Swasthya Sathi programme.

The scheme is designed to provide a health cover of INR 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization and is expected to reduce out-of-pocket expenditure for patients.

The latest announcement follows PM Narendra Modi’s earlier commitment made during the sweeping electoral victory in West Bengal, where he reaffirmed the central government’s intent to bring West Bengal under the ambit of Ayushman Bharat.

Hailing the decision, PM shared in a social media post, “The welfare of my brothers and sisters in West Bengal is of the utmost importance. I am extremely delighted that the people of the state will have access to Ayushman Bharat, the world's largest health service, which ensures access to high-quality and affordable healthcare.”

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