The government has expanded the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana to cover 60 million middle-class families — those earning between ₹8 lakh and ₹12 lakh annually — under a modified framework that provides ₹5 lakh in annual hospitalisation coverage with premium sharing between the government and beneficiary households.

The expansion, announced by Health Minister J.P. Nadda, bridges a critical gap in India's health financing architecture: while the poorest 40 per cent of households were covered under the original PM-JAY programme, and the top income households access employer-provided or market insurance, middle-income families had no reliable protection against catastrophic medical expenses.

Approximately 63 million households fall into the newly included income band, with enrolment expected to be completed over 18 months through gram sabhas, urban local body networks, and Aadhaar-linked applications.

The programme will be administered through the existing empanelled hospital network of approximately 29,000 facilities. Private hospital associations have sought tariff revisions as a condition for processing the expanded coverage — negotiations currently under way with the National Health Authority.