87.91 Lakh Ayushman Cards Issued in Jammu Kashmir; 19.45 Lakh Claims Filed Under AB-PMJAY | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: The Government of India has informed the Rajya Sabha that 87.91 lakh Ayushman cards have been generated in Jammu and Kashmir under the Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) as of February 28, 2026, with 19.45 lakh claims submitted for treatment under the scheme.

Replying to an unstarred question by Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav said that out of the total claims filed in the Union Territory, 16.21 lakh have been settled, while 1.29 lakh claims have been rejected.

The Minister stated that claims submitted by empanelled hospitals are scrutinised in accordance with prescribed standard treatment guidelines, based on clinical documents, investigation reports and supporting records. He added that claim settlement is a continuous process handled by State Health Agencies as per guidelines issued by the National Health Authority.

As per the norms, the permissible turnaround time for settlement is within 15 days for intra-state hospital claims and up to 30 days for portability cases involving treatment outside the Union Territory.

Addressing concerns over denial of cashless treatment, the government clarified that empanelled hospitals are not permitted to refuse treatment to eligible beneficiaries under the scheme. In case of denial, patients can lodge complaints through the Centralised Grievance Redressal Management System or the 24×7 toll-free helpline 14555.

The Ministry said a three-tier grievance redressal mechanism—at district, state and national levels—has been established, with designated nodal officers and committees to resolve beneficiary issues.

On enrolment-related challenges, including Aadhaar or SECC data errors and delays in card generation, the government said Aadhaar-based e-KYC is mandatory for enrolment and availing treatment. To address discrepancies, a re-do e-KYC facility has been enabled through the Ayushman app and web portal, allowing beneficiaries to update demographic details in line with Aadhaar records.

The Ministry also noted that efforts are underway to improve hospital participation. A dedicated toll-free helpline (14413) has been introduced to address concerns of hospitals, including those related to empanelment and claim processing, in real time.

While district-wise data on cards issued and hospital empanelment is available on official dashboards, the government did not provide such details in the reply.