Ayushman Bharat Vs Swasthya Sathi: What is changing in West Bengal’s healthcare system? 

West Bengal will roll out the Centre’s flagship health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat, from July this year. The announcement was made by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari after a virtual meeting with Union Health Minister JP Nadda. The move marks a major shift in the state’s healthcare policy, as Bengal had stayed out of the scheme for years under the previous Trinamool Congress government.

The state government has said that beneficiaries already covered under West Bengal’s Swasthya Sathi scheme will now be brought under Ayushman Bharat.  Around 1.45 crore people are expected to benefit from the transition.

What is Ayushman Bharat?

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana is the Centre’s flagship public health insurance programme launched in 2018.

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The scheme provides free health insurance cover of up to ₹ 5 lakh per family every year for secondary and tertiary hospital treatment. It mainly targets poor and vulnerable families identified through the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) database.

Treatment is free at hospitals registered under the scheme, including both government and private hospitals across India.

Over the years, the scheme has expanded, and the Centre has also announced coverage for senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of income criteria.

 

Why was Bengal not part of it earlier?

West Bengal was among the few states that had opted out of Ayushman Bharat earlier. The previous Mamata Banerjee-led government had instead launched its own health insurance scheme called Swasthya Sathi.

The state government had argued that Swasthya Sathi already provided broader healthcare coverage and allowed Bengal to run its own welfare model. Political disagreements between the Centre and the state were also seen as a major reason behind the standoff.

Swasthya Sathi offered cashless treatment in both government and private hospitals and was available to a much wider section of residents compared to Ayushman Bharat’s targeted beneficiary structure.

 

What happens to Swasthya Sathi beneficiaries now?

The Bengal government has clarified that existing Swasthya Sathi beneficiaries will be incorporated into Ayushman Bharat. Enrollment has already begun, and health cards are expected to start reaching beneficiaries from July.

However, officials are still working out how the merger will function in practice.

According to a report by Times of India, the state may create a two-category structure. One category could include people who meet Ayushman Bharat’s original eligibility rules, while another may include beneficiaries who were earlier covered under Swasthya Sathi but do not qualify under the Centre’s standard norms.

This is important because Swasthya Sathi covered many lower-middle-class families who may not fall under Ayushman Bharat’s poverty-linked eligibility list.

 

Hospitals preparing already

The state health department has already started onboarding private hospitals into the Ayushman Bharat system. Workshops and virtual meetings have been held across Bengal to speed up registrations and empanelment.

Several major hospitals in Kolkata and other districts have either joined the scheme or started the registration process. Hospital associations have also backed a smooth merger between Swasthya Sathi and Ayushman Bharat to avoid confusion for patients.

Healthcare experts say a unified system could improve portability and make it easier for patients to access treatment outside Bengal as well.

What else did the Bengal government announce?

Apart from Ayushman Bharat, the state government said it has sent proposals to the Centre for:

• New medical colleges in Alipurduar, Kalimpong and South Dinajpur
• A new AIIMS for North Bengal
• Increasing PM Jan Aushadhi Kendras in Bengal from 117 to 469

The Memorandum of Understanding related to Ayushman Bharat Arogya Mandir is expected to be signed in June in New Delhi.

The Centre has also sanctioned more than ₹ 3505.59 crore for Bengal’s healthcare sector this financial year, including funds under the National Health Mission and Ayushman Bharat, according to PTI. 

Why this rollout matters

The rollout is significant not just politically, but also for patients across Bengal.

For years, residents had access only to the state-run Swasthya Sathi system. With Ayushman Bharat now being implemented, beneficiaries may get access to a larger national hospital network and central funding support.

At the same time, questions remain over how both schemes will be merged, whether all current beneficiaries will retain the same level of coverage, and how the state will manage funding for people outside Ayushman Bharat’s original eligibility list.

Those details are expected to become clearer before the July rollout.