The National Health Authority (NHA), which implements the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), has renewed its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Health Research (DHR) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
The renewed partnership seeks to strengthen technical collaboration for evidence-based decision-making, enabling more efficient healthcare resource allocation and quality enhancement across India’s flagship health schemes.
The MoU was signed by Dr. Sunil Kumar Barnwal, CEO, NHA, and Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, DHR and Director General, ICMR, in the presence of senior officials including Ms. Jyoti Yadav, Joint Secretary (AB-PMJAY), Dr. Pankaj Arora, Director (NHA), and representatives from the Red Cross Society.
Initially formalized in November 2019, the NHA–DHR/ICMR collaboration leveraged Health Technology Assessment (HTA) principles to refine Health Benefit Packages (HBPs) under AB-PMJAY. The renewed MoU reaffirms a shared commitment to assess the clinical efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and equity impact of medical technologies, devices, and procedures within the scheme.
The new agreement also expands the scope of collaboration to include the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). Through the Health Technology Assessment India (HTAIn) initiative, DHR and ICMR will provide analytical support to evaluate digital health interventions—such as electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine platforms, and AI-based diagnostic tools—to ensure their affordability, efficiency, and sustainability.
Key focus areas under the renewed MoU include:
Costing of Healthcare Services: Using cost data from the National Costing Initiative to rationalize reimbursement rates for healthcare procedures under PM-JAY.
Standard Treatment Workflows (STWs): Implementing DHR/ICMR-developed STWs to promote evidence-based disease management, minimize unnecessary interventions, and improve quality of care.
Operational Research: Conducting targeted studies to address implementation challenges, enhance patient safety, and strengthen healthcare delivery under AB-PMJAY.
This renewed collaboration underscores the shared vision of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, NHA, and ICMR to advance Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by ensuring equitable access to safe, high-quality, and affordable healthcare for all.