A study on impact of AB-PMJAY on rural population of Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

On September 23, 2018, the Indian government launched the Ayushman Bharat plan, a national health protection initiative. The purpose of the study was to gauge the knowledge and usage of the Ayushman Bharat initiative among Uttar Pradesh rural beneficiaries. A comparative cross-sectional research was carried out among 1643 respondents in the field practice areas of the Uttar Pradesh, Department Shalom Institute of Health and Allied Sciences, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Data was gathered using a semi-structured questionnaire and simple random sampling. According to our research, majority of respondents were from Rural area (99.8%), while urban area only (0.2%). Based on finding AB-PMJAY awareness is generally high (about 99.3% knew about it), but knowledge of specifics like benefits, cashless treatment, or how to use it is lower. Utilization rates vary greatly (from 1.41% to over 43% in some studies), but they frequently lag behind general awareness. This indicates a gap between knowing the scheme and actively using it, underscoring the need for improved ground-level communication via health workers and the media.