Paper Details

Access to healthcare remains a critical policy issue in India, particularly in rural and peripheral regions such as Tripura, where socio-economic vulnerabilities, geographical isolation, and infrastructural limitations exacerbate disparities in health service delivery. The Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), initiated in 2018, is recognized as the world’s largest publicly funded health insurance program, designed to provide financial protection and universal access to quality healthcare. This paper critically evaluates the impact of Ayushman Bharat on rural healthcare access in Tripura, focusing on its effectiveness, challenges, and policy implications. The study employs a policy analysis approach, utilizing secondary data from government reports, NFHS-5, and state-level healthcare statistics. It evaluates healthcare access in terms of affordability, availability, awareness, and acceptability. The findings indicate that while the scheme has reduced out-of-pocket expenditure and enabled rural households to access hospitalization benefits, several challenges persist. These include a limited number of empanelled hospitals in remote tribal areas, infrastructural deficiencies, a shortage of specialists, digital verification obstacles, and low awareness among marginalized communities. The paper concludes that Ayushman Bharat has established significant pathways toward healthcare equity in Tripura but necessitates complementary reforms such as strengthening primary healthcare, incentivizing rural hospital participation, and implementing localized awareness campaigns. Addressing these gaps is essential for achieving the scheme’s objective of universal and equitable healthcare access in rural Tripura.

Ayushman Bharat, Rural Healthcare, Policy Analysis, Tripura, Public Health