Delhi: Union Health Minister JP Nadda to inaugurate Arogya Manthan 2026 at Vigyan Bhawan tomorrow

According to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the programme will be organised by the National Health Authority (NHA) and would feature a series of thematic deliberations focusing on key aspects of health assurance and digital health.

The common session on NHCX for Streamlining Health Insurance will deliberate on the role of the National Health Claims Exchange in enabling standardised, streamlined and technology-driven health insurance processes.

This will be followed by parallel sessions under the AB PM-JAY and ABDM tracks covering Claim Processing to Intelligent Assurance: Transforming AB PM-JAY, with a focus on leveraging technology, data and analytics to strengthen claims processing and programme integrity; Strategic Purchasing from the Perspective of Quality and Cost-Effectiveness, examining approaches to improve quality of care and promote efficient utilisation of resources; UHI for Improving Access of Healthcare Services, focusing on leveraging digital platforms to expand access and participation across the healthcare ecosystem; and Leveraging Standards for Better Health Delivery, deliberating on the role of common health-data standards in enabling seamless exchange of information and strengthening continuity, efficiency and quality of healthcare delivery.

Aarogya Manthan 2026 will also witness the launch of a number of initiatives aimed at further strengthening Indias digital health and health assurance ecosystem.

These include the National Healthcare Providers Registry (NHPR) Mobile App, the NHCX Implementation Guide for Payers, the Guidebook for a Model Digital Health Facility, Secure Data Environment (SDE) application and Framework for Auto-Adjudication of Claims under AB PM-JAY.

The Secure Data Environment, developed by NHA with the support of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, is envisaged as a governed environment for access to and analysis of AB PM-JAY and ABDM health data.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, approved entities will be able to work with de-identified data or execute code within an isolated NHA environment, with outputs reviewed prior to release.

The initiative is intended to facilitate health research, programme planning, outcome analysis and responsible AI innovation while incorporating safeguards for protection of personal data.

The event will also recognise best-performing States and Union Territories across various categories under AB PM-JAY and ABDM, acknowledging their efforts towards strengthening health assurance and digital health implementation.

Launched in 2018, AB PM-JAY has emerged as a key pillar of the Governments efforts towards providing financial protection against hospitalisation to vulnerable families. The scheme provides health cover of up to Rs. 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.

Over the years, the scheme has expanded its reach across the country, with more than 60 crore beneficiaries covered under the scheme. It has also facilitated more than 13 crore hospital admissions, involving treatment worth over Rs. 2 lakh crore.

A significant expansion of AB PM-JAY was undertaken in October 2024, when the scheme was extended to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their socio-economic status. The expansion has brought approximately 6 crore additional senior citizens within the ambit of the health assurance scheme.

Complementing the financial protection provided through AB PM-JAY, the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), launched in September 2021, is creating the digital architecture for a connected, interoperable and citizen-centric health ecosystem.

The Mission has established key digital health building blocks, including the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA), Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR) and Health Facility Registry (HFR), and has enabled a range of digital solutions to facilitate seamless access to healthcare services and exchange of health information.

As of September 1, 2026, more than 97.8 crore ABHAs have been created, and over 121 crore health records have been linked. More than 5.6 lakh health facilities and 11 lakh healthcare professionals are registered on the ABDM ecosystem.

The Mission has also focused on developing digital health standards and enabling responsible use of technology and artificial intelligence in healthcare.

According to the Ministery, initiatives such as the Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare for India (SAHI), Benchmarking Open Data Platform in Health AI (BODH), Common Lab Codes for India and Bharat Health Terminology Service (BHTS) are contributing to the development of a standardised and interoperable digital health ecosystem.

Citizen-centric initiatives such as Scan & Register, Scan & Pay and e-Sushrut Clinic are further supporting the adoption of digital health services.

Aarogya Manthan 2026 will bring together senior government officials, healthcare providers, insurers, technology and digital health experts, academia, development partners and other stakeholders to deliberate on the progress made under Indias health assurance and digital health programmes and discuss emerging priorities for the next phase.

With eight years of AB PM-JAY and five years of ABDM, Aarogya Manthan 2026 will provide an opportunity to take stock of the transformation underway in Indias health sector and deliberate on the priorities for the future. (ANI)