The Maharashtra state Cabinet on Tuesday approved an expansion of the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY) and the Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), by increasing the number of diseases and medical procedures covered under the two public health insurance schemes from 1,356 to 2,399.
The official said that the expansion is aimed at providing free or cashless treatment for almost all major and commonly occurring ailments to eligible beneficiaries across the state.
Officials said the expansion was based on recommendations of a technical committee that reviewed treatment packages under both the central and state health schemes.
The decision follows a comparative review of the existing treatment packages by a government-appointed committee, which recommended aligning Maharashtra’s health coverage with the National Health Authority’s standards and expanding the scope of diseases included.
The recommendations were approved by the regulatory council overseeing the schemes before being cleared by the state Cabinet. Officials said the decision will allow most diseases to be treated under public insurance, providing significant relief to low-income families and reducing out-of-pocket expenses.
“The move is expected to benefit lakhs of economically weaker families who depend on government-funded healthcare. By widening the list of treatments, the state has ensured that even complex procedures can be accessed without financial burden. This will greatly strengthen the social security net,” a senior health department official claimed.
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Of the total 2,399 treatments, 223 will be reserved exclusively for government hospitals, aimed at improving utilisation and strengthening the state’s public healthcare system.
The Cabinet also decided to discontinue the existing practice of paying package rates based on hospital categories and instead, the state will now adopt the National Health Authority (NHA) base package rates, along with Maharashtra’s approved treatment costs.
Hospitals will be eligible for performance-based incentives over and above the base rate, the official said.
The regulatory council has been authorised to take all policy decisions related to the inclusion of treatments and their rates, while the Secretary of the Public Health Department has been empowered to make periodic revisions, add or remove government-reserved treatments, and, in exceptional cases, open certain reserved procedures to private hospitals.
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“The expanded list of 2,399 treatments will be implemented in phases, and periodic reviews will be undertaken to assess its impact and coverage,” the official said.
Meanwhile in another decision, the cabinet also approved the creation of a dedicated Urban Health Commissionerate under the Public Health Department to ensure better coordination and delivery of healthcare services in cities and towns across the state.
According to the officials, the move comes amid growing concerns over fragmented management of urban healthcare in the cities of the state. At present, health services in cities are divided between the Public Health Department and the Urban Development Department and that often leads to overlap and coordination gaps in providing the healthcare facilities.
The new Commissionerate hence is intended to act as a single-point authority for policy formulation, implementation, and monitoring of urban health programmes in the urban area.
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“Urban health functions have been scattered across multiple departments. With the new Commissionerate, Maharashtra will have a unified structure that can plan, implement and monitor healthcare services more effectively,” an official from the Public Health Department said.
Currently, nearly 50 per cent of Maharashtra’s population lives in urban areas, with 29 municipal corporations, 247 municipal councils and 147 nagar panchayats functioning across the state.
To oversee the new set-up, the Cabinet has approved the creation of the post of Commissioner (Urban Health), to be held by an officer from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
The Commissioner will supervise and coordinate health programmes in all urban local bodies and liaise with other departments and agencies involved in public health.
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The government also decided that medical officer posts in municipal corporations will henceforth be filled through deputation from the Public Health Department, ensuring standardised service conditions and greater accountability. Additionally, all municipal councils will gradually have the post of Health Officer (Municipal Council) created in the Group-A (Medical Officer) cadre.
Higher honorarium
In another decision, the Cabinet approved an increase in the honorarium for field-level workers engaged in creating and distributing Ayushman cards under the expanded scheme. Workers will now receive ₹20 for every verified card and ₹10 for each card distributed.
The state has set aside ₹204.6 crore for the initiative, which aims to speed up card distribution among the remaining 9.3 crore beneficiaries. ASHA workers, fair price shopkeepers, and staff at Aaple Sarkar Seva Kendras will help achieve full coverage.
NHM contractual staff regularisation
The Cabinet also cleared amendments to the earlier decision on regularising long-serving contractual employees under the National Health Mission (NHM). Staff with 10 years of service as of March 14, 2024, will be adjusted against regular posts as a one-time measure, without altering recruitment rules.
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The adjustment will be limited to available vacancies across the Public Health and Rural Development departments.
Officials said the move will provide job stability to thousands of healthcare workers serving in rural and urban areas.
