The Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on Friday trotted out cabinet ministers to make the pitch for its ambitious Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana, which promises free, cashless medical treatment up to ₹10 lakh to every family in Punjab, and set the beneficiary registration process in motion across the state.
Ministers fanned out across the state, moving door-to-door to register beneficiaries under the scheme.
Cabinet minister Aman Arora, who is also the ruling party’s state unit president, led the registration drive at Sunam Udam Singh Wala, in his assembly constituency of Sunam, briefing eligible beneficiaries on the scheme, the ailments covered, diagnostic services, network of hospitals empanelled for free treatment, and its other key features.
He said for the first time, no income limit had been set for eligibility, setting a new national example.
The ministers’ outreach saw housing and urban development minister Hardeep Singh Mundian inaugurate a camp set up at Mangarh village in Sahnewal, while transport and jails minister Laljit Singh Bhullar launched the registration drive in Sabhra village of Tarn Taran district.
Food and civil supplies minister Lal Chand Kataruchak went door-to-door in Daro Salaam, Bhoa and Gobindsar villages of Pathankot to facilitate registration. He said in addition to camps in villages, health cards would also be made at Common Service Centres.
“For persons aged above 18 years, an Aadhaar card and voter card are required, while those under 18 years will need Aadhaar card, birth certificate and father or mother’s voter card for registration,” Kataruchak said.
Similarly, several other AAP leaders, including Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal and Hoshiarpur MLA Bram Shankar Jimpa, hit the ground to start the registration of beneficiaries for issuance of health cards in their areas.
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and chief minister Bhagwant Mann launched the universal health insurance scheme at a state-level function in Mohali on Thursday, handing over health cards to select beneficiaries.
The scheme will cover all 65 lakh families in Punjab and provide free treatment for over 2,300 ailments, ranging from dialysis to cancer. These services will be available in empanelled government and private hospitals across the state. With just about a year left for the assembly polls in Punjab, the AAP government plans to make all-out efforts to maximise registrations, as the ruling party has much at stake in ensuring its smooth and successful implementation.
Under the scheme, all medicines and tests for major and minor illnesses up to ₹10 lakh will be free and patients will need to present their health card for cashless treatment. According to an official spokesperson, as of now, 820 government and private hospitals have been empanelled, with more will be added soon.
The scheme includes over 2,356 treatment packages, covering specialties such as orthopaedics, general medicine, cardiology, neurology, nephrology, urology, oncology, and more. Diagnostic services are included alongside hospital expenses. “Any citizen can now receive free treatment at any government or private hospital in Punjab or Chandigarh. Hospitals will receive payment within 15 days of treatment, as the state government has already paid advance premiums to the insurance company,” the spokesperson said, adding, “All treatment expenses will be settled directly between hospitals and the implementing agencies, ensuring that patients do not have to make any out-of-pocket payments.”
Who is eligible
The scheme applies to all bona fide residents of Punjab and has been made fully universal by removing all income and category-based restrictions. Families with a valid Punjab voter ID are eligible for enrolment, while children below the age of 18 are covered through the voter ID of their parent or guardian. Government employees, pensioners, and individuals engaged on contractual, outsourcing, or consultancy basis under Punjab government departments, corporations, trusts and societies are also eligible.
65 lakh families covered
Health cards will be issued to approximately 65 lakh families, covering nearly 3 crore citizens across Punjab. Each eligible family is entitled to cashless medical treatment of up to ₹10 lakh per year. The earlier coverage limit of ₹5 lakh has been doubled, significantly strengthening health protection and financial security for families.
Get the health cards
Health cards under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana will serve as the key access document for availing cashless treatment. These cards can be obtained through facilitation centres, Common Service Centres or online registration using Aadhaar card and Punjab voter ID. To ensure maximum enrolment, trained youth club members will also assist families through door-to-door outreach across the state.
823 hospitals empanelled
Cashless healthcare services are being provided to beneficiaries through a network of empanelled hospitals spanning government institutions, private hospitals, public-private partnership facilities, and medical colleges across Punjab.
A total of 823 hospitals have been empanelled and more will be added. This network includes four government medical colleges, four private medical colleges, and one medical college operating in public-private partnership mode.
As many as 23 district hospitals, 41 sub-divisional hospitals and 151 community health centres have also been included to ensure access to healthcare at the district and sub-district levels.
In addition, 559 private hospitals, including major private ones such as PIMS Medical and Education Charitable Society, Jalandhar; Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Bathinda; Chintpurni Medical College and Hospital, Pathankot; RIMT Medical College and Hospital, Fatehgarh Sahib; and Gian Sagar Medical College, Patiala, have been empanelled.
Financial provision
The scheme is being implemented through a hybrid model. Insurance coverage of ₹1 lakh per family is provided by United India Insurance Company, while the remaining coverage up to ₹10 lakh is borne by the Punjab government through the state health agency. A budgetary provision of ₹1,200 crore has been made to ensure smooth and sustained implementation.
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