India, Aug. 7 -- Over 2,000 hospitals have been de-empanelled and 1,200 others suspended by states and UTs for violations of guidelines under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana till May 31 this year, Union Health Minister J P Nadda informed the Lok Sabha on Friday. In a written response to a question, he said 29 FIRs have been filed and penalties amounting to Rs 328.49 crore have been levied for violation of scheme guidelines. Nadda said 2,359 hospitals have been de-empanelled for violations. The scheme follows a zero-tolerance approach towards fraud and the National Anti-Fraud Unit under the National Health Authority (NHA) uses Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning-based automated triggers to detect suspicious claims. Also Read - Manipur CM announces free movement for all communities on NH-2 and NH-37 These automated checks flag unusual claim patterns, including unauthorised billing, duplicate entries, inflated procedures and misuse of patient identity, within 24 hours of claim submission, he said. Claims flagged as suspicious are examined before payment and those confirmed as fraudulent are not paid, resulting in savings of Rs 676.14 crore as on July 31, 2026, the minister said. Besides suspension and de-empanelment of hospitals, other actions such as levying penalties and lodging FIRs are taken against hospitals found violating scheme guidelines, he added. The AB-PMJAY provides cashless health insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to the bottom 40 per cent of India's population. The scheme is being implemented across all states and Union Territories, with several states integrating it with their own health insurance schemes. Also Read - Youth made to generate data for money-minting industrialists, stuck in 'chakravyuh', says Rahul During the 2025-26 financial year, 3.75 crore Ayushman cards were created for eligible beneficiaries, 2.74 crore hospital admissions were authorised and 5,074 hospitals were empanelled under the scheme, Nadda said. The Centre also released Rs 8,438.27 crore to states and Union Territories during the year for implementation of the scheme, he said, adding fund release is demand-driven and based on utilisation certificates and requirements projected by states and UTs. Responding to a separate question, Nadda said 95.99 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA) had been created across the country as on July 31, 2026, including 5.25 crore in Gujarat. ABHA, a key component of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), is a unique 14-digit health identifier that enables citizens to securely access and manage their digital health records across the healthcare ecosystem, he said. The minister also informed the House that parliamentary constituency-wise data on ABHA creation is not maintained.
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