Keywords
healthcare access
kashmir
How to Cite
Abstract
Ayushman Bharat, India’s flagship programme for universal health coverage, seeks to improve access to affordable healthcare through its key component, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB–PMJAY), which provides cashless hospitalisation for secondary and tertiary care. This study assesses beneficiary satisfaction with AB–PMJAY in the Kashmir Valley, where the scheme functions as a universal entitlement. Using a descriptive and analytical research design, primary data were collected from 500 beneficiaries across ten districts through structured interviews. The analysis examines satisfaction across enrolment processes, hospital access, service delivery, hospitalisation experiences, and perceptions of fairness, while also exploring the operational challenges encountered in implementation. The study concludes that expanding insurance coverage alone is insufficient; sustained improvements in service quality, accessibility, and institutional accountability are critical to ensuring equitable healthcare delivery in geographically and structurally diverse regions like the Kashmir Valley.
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