New Delhi, Jan 7 (PTI) Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday urged the Odisha government to implement the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme in the state so that beneficiaries can avail benefits of cashless hospitalisation.

Speaking to the media after participating in the 4th annual convocation of AIIMS Bhubaneswar, he said the Health Ministry has also written to the state government in this regard.

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The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PM-JAY) aims to achieve the target of universal health coverage and provide access to free and affordable healthcare services to the people residing in the remotest of the areas.

The scheme aims to provide free and cashless healthcare services up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year to over 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families (over 53 crore beneficiaries) as per the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC)-2011 database.

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The AB-PMJAY is implemented in all states and Union territories barring West Bengal, NCT of Delhi and Odisha.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)