India's Ayushman Bharat scheme de‑empanels 2,359 hospitals for fraud

Union Health Minister JP Nadda told the Lok Sabha that 2,359 hospitals have been de‑empanelled and more than 1,200 suspended by states and Union Territories for violating guidelines of the Ayushman Bharat‑Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB‑PMJAY) as of May 31, 2026. Twenty‑nine FIRs have been filed and penalties totalling Rs 328.49 crore imposed on the offending institutions. The scheme, which provides cashless health coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for the bottom 40 percent of India’s population, uses AI‑ and ML‑driven automated triggers of the National Anti‑Fraud Unit under the National Health Authority to flag suspicious claim patterns such as unauthorised billing, duplicate entries, inflated procedures and misuse of patient identity. These checks have helped save Rs 676.14 crore as of July 31, 2026. During the 2025‑26 financial year, 3.75 crore Ayushman cards were issued, 2.74 crore hospital admissions authorised, and 5,074 hospitals were empanelled. The Centre released Rs 8,438.27 crore to states and UTs for scheme implementation, and 95.99 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA) were created nationwide.