Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) is a major health insurance scheme under Ayushman Bharat. Which of the following statements correctly describe its benefits?

Introduction / Context:
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, commonly referred to as PMJAY or Ayushman Bharat PMJAY, is a flagship public health insurance scheme aimed at providing financial protection for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to economically vulnerable families. To answer this question, you must carefully evaluate which listed statements describe the actual benefits and conditions of the scheme, and which statement is incorrect.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- Statement 1: Free treatment is available at all public and empanelled private hospitals in times of need.- Statement 2: Beneficiaries have cashless and paperless access to quality health care services.- Statement 3: The Government provides health insurance cover of up to Rs 5,00,000 per family per year.- Statement 4: Pre existing diseases are not covered.

Concept / Approach:
Under PMJAY, eligible families are entitled to coverage up to a defined sum insured per year for a wide range of procedures at empanelled hospitals. The scheme emphasises cashless and paperless service at the point of treatment, and importantly, it includes coverage for pre existing conditions from the very first day of enrolment. Any statement denying coverage for pre existing diseases contradicts the official design of the scheme. Therefore, while Statements 1, 2 and 3 capture genuine features, Statement 4 is incorrect.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Check Statement 1. PMJAY provides free treatment for the covered procedures at public hospitals and at private hospitals that are empanelled under the scheme. This statement is correct.Step 2: Check Statement 2. A key pillar of PMJAY is that beneficiaries should receive cashless and paperless treatment, meaning that they do not have to pay at the hospital and most administrative work happens through an electronic platform. Statement 2 is correct.Step 3: Check Statement 3. PMJAY offers a health insurance cover of up to Rs 5,00,000 per eligible family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation. This statement is correct.Step 4: Check Statement 4. In PMJAY, pre existing diseases are covered from the start of the scheme for eligible beneficiaries. Therefore, the statement that pre existing diseases are not covered is incorrect.Step 5: Since Statements 1, 2 and 3 are correct and Statement 4 is not, the correct option must be the one that includes 1, 2 and 3 only.

Verification / Alternative check:
As a quick check, remember that PMJAY is designed to give broad financial risk protection to poor and vulnerable families. Excluding pre existing conditions would greatly reduce its usefulness and contradict official publicity material, which clearly states that pre existing diseases are included. Thus, any option that treats Statement 4 as correct can be rejected.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A (1 and 3 only) is wrong because it leaves out Statement 2, even though cashless and paperless access is a key benefit of PMJAY.Option C (2 and 4 only) is wrong because it incorrectly accepts Statement 4 and leaves out other correct statements.Option D (2 3 and 4 only) is wrong because it also treats Statement 4 as correct, while excluding Statement 1, which is a genuine benefit of the scheme.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes assume that government health insurance schemes impose waiting periods or exclusions for pre existing diseases, based on their experience with private insurance policies. PMJAY is purposely designed to provide comprehensive risk coverage for vulnerable families, and therefore it does not exclude pre existing conditions. Carefully distinguishing between private sector policy norms and public welfare schemes is essential to avoid mistakes in such questions.

Final Answer:
Correct answer: 1 2 and 3 only