Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed severe inequalities in India’s healthcare system. While the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) scheme was launched in 2018 to provide health coverage to over 500 million people its effectiveness during the pandemic was uneven. This paper examines the functioning of Ayushman Bharat during COVID-19 analyzing its successes limitations and implications for healthcare equity. It argues that while the scheme expanded access for some structural issues of public health infrastructure awareness and exclusion left millions without adequate care during the crisis.