Purpose : The ultimate success of any public healthcare scheme mainly depends upon the awareness level among the beneficiaries concerning scheme features and means to access the same. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and comprehension of beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.

Methodology : To examine the level of awareness among the beneficiaries in the state of Karnataka, primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale. A sample of 405 beneficiaries was selected among people covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme between January – December 2021, using a snowball sampling method to check the awareness level of the scheme’s features. Factor analysis was applied to group the 11 factors and measure the percentage of variation explained in the level of awareness of the scheme. The analysis of the data obtained was done by applying ordinal logistic regression.

Findings : The study’s findings showed that beneficiaries had a thorough comprehension of the main components of the plan, indicating that awareness levels are significantly positive. Further scope persists for improvement in the government’s mission to be fully achieved in reaching all poor people in time and protecting them from possible adverse financial impacts.

Practical Implications : The study findings will help policymakers evaluate the effectiveness of these awareness campaigns, providing valuable insights for further development and refinement of the scheme.

Originality : The current research examined the awareness, issues, and their impact on the success of public healthcare schemes through new dimensions.

1. ACKO. (2023, February 7). Health insurance awareness in India and its problems. https://www.acko.com/health-insurance/awareness-in-india-and-challenges/
2. Ananth, C. V., & Kleinbaum, D. G. (1997). Regression models for ordinal responses: A review of methods and applications. International Journal of Epidemiology, 26(6), 1323–1333.
3. Banerjee, A. (2020). Equity and quality of health-care access: Where do we stand and the way forward? Indian Journal of Community Medicine: Official Publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine, 45(1), 4–7. https://dx.doi.org/10.4103/ijcm.IJCM_183_19
4. Batra, R., & Pall, A. S. (2016). Barriers to adoption of hospital management systems: A study of Punjab healthcare industry. Prabandhan:Indian Journal of Management, 9(11), 20–34. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2016/v9i11/105320
5. Bawa, S. K., & Verma, R. (2012). Factors affecting the selection of health insurance: An empirical study. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 5(2), 35–41. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2012/v5i2/60139
6. Bish, A., & Michie, S. (2010). Demographic and attitudinal determinants of protective behaviours during a pandemic: A review. British Journal of Health Psychology, 15(4), 797–824. https://doi.org/10.1348/135910710X485826
7. Bloom, G., Katsuma, Y., Rao, K. D., Makimoto, S., Yin, J. D., & Leung, G. M. (2019). Next steps towards universal health coverage call for global leadership. BMJ, 365, l2107. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l2107
8. Bourke-Taylor, H., Pallant, J. F., Law, M., & Howie, L. (2013). Relationships between sleep disruptions, health and care responsibilities among mothers of school-aged children with disabilities. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 49(9), 775–782. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpc.12254
9. Brant, R. (1990). Assessing proportionality in the proportional odds model for ordinal logistic regression. Biometrics, 46(4), 1171–1178. https://doi.org/10.2307/2532457
10. Chakraborty, S., & Digal, S. K. (2015). Empirical evidence of household saving objectives: A demographical comparison. Indian Journal of Finance, 9(10), 36–47. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijf/2015/v9i10/79560
11. Chen, Y., Parker, M., Zheng, X., & Fang, X. (2022). Health insurance coverage of migrant workers in China. The Chinese Economy, 55(5), 332–342. https://doi.org/10.1080/10971475.2021.1996550
12. Dash, U., Muraleedharan, V. R., & Rajesh, M. (2020). Accessing Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY): A case study of three states (Bihar, Haryana and Tamil Nadu) (National Health Authority, Working Paper). https://pmjay.gov.in/sites/default/files/2020-06/WP_IITM_study_1.pdf
13. Goel, S., Sharma, D., Bahuguna, P., Raj, S., & Singh, A. (2014). Predictors of patient satisfaction in three tiers of health care facilities of North India. Journal of Community Medicine & Health Education, S2(002). https://doi.org/10.4172/2161-0711.S2-002
14. Goodman, V., Wardrope, B., Myers, S., Cohen, S., McCorquodale, L., & Kinsella, E. A. (2019). Mindfulness and human occupation: A scoping review. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 26(3), 157–170. https://doi.org/10.1080/11038128.2018.1483422
15. Hooda, S. K. (2020). Penetration and coverage of government-funded health insurance schemes in India. Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health, 8(4), 1017–1033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cegh.2020.03.014
16. Jamgade, S., & Joshi, N. (2022). Impact of Covid-19 on hospitality professionals: Study on physio-psychologoical-social and financial effects. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 15(11), 24–42. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2022/v15i11/172521
17. Kaiser, H. F. (1960). The application of electronic computers to factor analysis. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 20(1), 141–151. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1177/001316446002000116
18. Kaiser, H. F. (1974). An index of factorial simplicity. Psychometrika, 39(1), 31–36. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02291575
19. Kanore, L. J., & Satpute, S. (2019). A study of awareness about Ayushman Bharat Yojana among low income urban families - An exploratory study. Remarking An Analisation, 4(1), E223–E228. http://socialresearchfoundation.com/upoadreserchpapers/5/274/2003120603571st%20lalit%20j.%20kanore.pdf
20. Kasthuri, A. (2018). Challenges to healthcare in India – The five A's. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 43(3), 141–143. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijcm.IJCM_194_18
21. Kusuma, Y. S., Pal, M., & Babu, B. V. (2018). Health insurance: Awareness, utilization, and its determinants among the urban poor in Delhi, India. Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health, 8(1–2), 69–76. https://doi.org/10.2991/j.jegh.2018.09.004
22. Madhukumar, S., Sudeepa, D., & Gaikwad, V. (2012). Awareness and perception regarding health insurance in Bangalore rural population. International Journal of Medicine and Public Health, 2(2), 18–22. https://doi.org/10.5530/ijmedph.2.2.5
23. Nirala, S. K., Kumar, P., Naik, B. N., Pandey, S., Singh, C., Rao, R., & Bhardwaj, M. (2022). Awareness and readiness to implement the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana: A cross-sectional study among healthcare workers of a tertiary care hospital in Eastern India. Cureus, 14(4), e24574. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.24574
24. Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). McGraw - Hill.
25. Pillai, K. (2020). Assessing the implementation of India's new health reform program, Ayushman Bharat, in two Southern states: Kerala and Tamil Nadu (Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 1523). https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/1523
26. Pugazhenthi, V. (2021). A study on awareness on AB-PMJAY for treatment of diseases with special reference to cancer care in Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu. EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR), 7(2), 202–206. https://doi.org/10.36713/epra6426
27. Pugazhenthi, V., & Sunitha, C. (2014). Role of government sponsored health insurance schemes in public health management in Tamil Nadu. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 7(12), 7–21. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2014/v7i12/59277
28. Reshmi, B., Unnikrishnan, B., Parsekar, S. S., Rajwar, E., Vijayamma, R., & Venkatesh, B. T. (2021). Health insurance awareness and its uptake in India: A systematic review protocol. BMJ Open, 11, e043122. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/bmjopen/11/4/e043122.full.pdf
29. Satish, P., Khetan, A., Raithatha, S., Bhende, P., & Josephson, R. (2019). Standardizing hypertension management in a primary care setting in India through protocol based model. Indian Heart Journal, 71(5), 375–380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ihj.2019.11.257
30. Shashi Rekha, S. D., & Aileen, J. (2018). Development of a measurement tool to assess the inpatient experience in a Tertiary Care Hospital. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 11(4), 37–46. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2018/v11i4/122834
31. Shiri, S. (2014). Stakeholder management: A universal strategic health services management approach to unlock a profitable return on investment. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 7(10), 17–31. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2014/v7i10/59249
32. Shiri, S. (2015). Healthcare funding priority setting: A contested health policy issue. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 8(2), 8–24. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2015/v8i2/61395
33. Singh, S., Kapoor, P., Srivastava, S., & Prakash, A. (2021). Impact of media on the health consciousness of the millennial generation. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 14(12), 35–53. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2021/v14i12/167459
34. Tabish, S. A. (2018). Transforming health care in India: Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission. International Journal of Scientific Research, 7(12), 16–25. https://doi.org/10.36106/IJSR
35. Thomas, K. T., & Sakthi Vel, R. (2011). Healthcare reforms in the U.S.: A multi-billion opportunity for Indian firms. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 4(6), 13–18. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2011/v4i6/62489
36. Unnikrishnan, B., Pandey, A., Saran, J. S., Kumar, C. P., Ulligaddi, B., Mariyam, A. A., & Rathi, P. (2021). Health insurance schemes: A cross-sectional study on levels of awareness by patients attending a tertiary care hospital of coastal South India. International Journal of Healthcare Management, 14(2), 412–418. https://doi.org/10.1080/20479700.2019.1654660