INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR INNOVATIVE RESEARCH IN MULTIDISCIPLINARY FIELD

Abstract:    The Ayushman Bharat scheme, launched 23 September 2018, represents India's most ambitious transition toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC). This study examines the scheme’s implementation in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh through a mixed-methods approach involving 50 local respondents in rural villages. Key findings indicate a high awareness level of 84%, yet significant neutral sentiments (50%) regarding the adequacy of the ₹5 lakh insurance cover. While 92% of respondents recognized its critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic, structural barriers such as poor infrastructure and perceived low quality of care in public facilities remain. This paper argues that for PM-JAY to truly eliminate catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE), it must converge with robust primary health infrastructure and improved quality assurance in public-private partnerships. The study concludes that while PM-JAY has extremely improved pandemic resilience, long-term sustainability depends on managing infrastructure gaps and preventing fraud.