Dikhyaa Mohanty 
On April 11, a state-level event at Cuttack Bali Yatra Ground will formally inaugurate the Ayushman Bharat Yojana and Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana in Odisha. At a press conference, Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling announced that Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi would introduce the program in front of notable dignitaries, including Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Jual Oram, and Aswini Vaishnaw, as well as Deputy Chief Ministers KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida.
According to Mahaling, the program would help about 1.3 crore households, which includes 3.50 crore people. The new Ayushman Card and Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Card will be accepted at more than 29,000 hospitals across the country, which is a major advance over the old health card, which was only accepted at 900 institutions both inside and outside the state ¹. As part of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, senior adults 70 years of age and above will be eligible for the Vaya Vandana card, regardless of their financial situation. The minister stated that the new cards will be given to individuals, in contrast to the former family-wise health card. The goal of this modification is to improve State people’ access to healthcare and financial stability.
After the Ayushman Bharat plan is put into effect, the state government anticipates more central funds. The health card may have brought in over Rs 3,000 crore for Odisha if it had been implemented in 2018. The plan offers cashless service, doing away with insurance company participation and third-party settlements. Beginning on April 11, the Swasthya Chetana Ratha will go through communities for seven days, handing out pamphlets to each home in an effort to increase awareness. This attempt will also involve ASHA employees. Common Service Centers are where recipients may pick up their cards. By presenting their Aadhaar card or prior health card, those who did not have cards during the first phase can still receive care at hospitals that have been approved.
