The government has de-empanelled 2,359 hospitals and suspended 1,200 others under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) for violating scheme guidelines, as reported by Mint. Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda announced these actions in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on 7 August 2026. The government has also lodged 29 FIRs against errant hospitals and imposed penalties totalling ₹328.49 crore on violators. For beneficiaries, de-empanelled or suspended hospitals cannot provide treatment under PM-JAY during their exclusion period.
The National Health Authority (NHA) has strengthened its anti-fraud mechanism by using artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify suspicious claims, according to Mint. The National Anti-Fraud Unit generates automated triggers when it detects unusual patterns, including duplicate claims, misuse of beneficiary identities, suspicious billing and potentially unnecessary medical procedures. These triggers can be generated within 24 hours of a claim being submitted, allowing suspicious claims to be examined before payments are released to hospitals. The government said this technology-driven mechanism helped prevent losses of ₹676.14 crore as of 31 July 2026.
Despite the crackdown, the health scheme continues to expand significantly. During financial year 2025-26, 3.75 crore new Ayushman cards were created, while 2.74 crore hospital admissions were authorised under the scheme, as reported by Mint. The Centre released ₹8,438.27 crore to state health agencies during FY26 to support expenditure under PM-JAY. Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of authorised hospital admissions at 30.6 lakh and received ₹1,047.53 crore in central funds during the year. Ayushman Bharat provides eligible beneficiaries with cashless health cover of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year at empanelled hospitals.
As of 8 August 2026, the National Health Authority portal showed 38,437 hospitals empanelled under the scheme, with 20,363 being public hospitals and 18,074 being private hospitals, according to Mint. The scheme covers more than 1,900 procedures, although states can add procedures for their beneficiaries. The latest action highlights the importance of checking a hospital's empanelment status before undergoing treatment under PM-JAY, particularly when seeking cashless care.
