Why it matters for hospitals

For many hospitals PM-JAY brings volume and community goodwill, but its package rates sit well below private pricing, so the payer mix decides whether it builds or erodes margin. It also shapes how families in smaller towns choose a hospital, because they actively search for empanelled facilities near them.

How to put it into practice

• Decide which specialties you are empanelled for and which you are not, then say so clearly on the website and Google Business Profile to cut wasted calls.
• Create a scheme help desk page that explains documents to bring, the beneficiary check process and whom to call, in English and the local language.
• Tag every PM-JAY enquiry in the CRM so you can track scheme volume, conversion and bed use separately from cash and insured patients.
• Use the senior citizen eligibility expansion to plan outreach to older patients and their adult children, without overpromising what is covered.
• Review empanelment status, package lists and state rules every quarter, as states run the scheme differently and rules change.

The common mistake

Treating PM-JAY volume as pure growth without checking contribution per bed, and letting scheme patients crowd out higher-margin elective work during peak months.

An illustrative example

A 200-bed hospital in a tier 2 city added a clear scheme help page and a dedicated WhatsApp line. Wrong-specialty calls dropped and the desk team could plan scheme admissions around elective surgery slots. (Composite example, not a specific hospital.)

Related terms

• Payer mix
• Package rate
• Pre-authorisation (cashless)
• ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account)

Further reading

• Government schemes: volume, margin and the digital front door
• Tier 2 city expansion and the digital footprint
• How to increase hospital revenue

Part of the healthcare growth and digital glossary. Last reviewed 7 October 2026.