The study, titled “Impact of Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY) on access to spine surgery at a tertiary care centre in North India: A retrospective analysis,” has been published in the Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma (2026). Conducted by the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, PGIMER, the research analysed spine surgeries performed over a two-year period from January 2023 to December 2024.

The findings reveal a substantial and statistically significant shift from self-financed spine surgeries to publicly funded care under PM-JAY, underscoring the scheme’s growing role in reducing catastrophic health expenditure for economically vulnerable patients requiring implant-intensive, high-cost procedures.

Prof. Vivek Lal, Director, PGIMER, said the findings highlight the transformative potential of publicly funded health insurance when aligned with strong institutional capacity as he stated, “This study clearly demonstrates how Ayushman Bharat is reshaping access to advanced surgical care by removing financial barriers that once excluded large sections of society.”

“At PGIMER, we are witnessing a tangible shift where the ability to pay no longer determines the ability to receive complex, life-altering spine surgery. This is a powerful example of public policy translating into real, measurable health equity,” Prof. Lal stated.

A total of 410 spine surgeries were analysed during the study period. Of these, 67.3 percent (276 cases) were funded under PM-JAY, while 26.8 percent (110 cases) were self-financed. Importantly, PM-JAY utilisation increased sharply from 58.7 percent in 2023 to 73.5 percent in 2024, accompanied by a steep decline in self-paid procedures from 37.8 percent to 18.9 percent. This shift was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.001).

Degenerative spinal disorders accounted for the largest proportion of cases (46.1 percent), followed by traumatic spinal injuries (33.4 percent), with surgeries spanning a wide spectrum—from decompression and stabilisation to complex instrumented fusion procedures. The utilisation of PM-JAY extended across trauma, deformity, tumour, infections, and revision spine surgeries, reflecting growing institutional confidence in delivering advanced spine care within fixed reimbursement frameworks.

The study was conducted by Dr Vishal Kumar, Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, PGIMER, along with Dr Sarvdeep Singh Dhatt and their team, under the mentorship and guidance of Prof. Vijay G.Goni, Head, Department of Orthopedics, PGIMER. The team noted that spine surgery is among the most financially demanding areas of modern healthcare, making it a critical test case for the effectiveness of public health insurance.

Detailing further, Dr. Vishal Kumar stated, “Spine surgery involves expensive implants, advanced imaging, and prolonged hospital care, which traditionally placed it beyond the reach of many patients. Our analysis shows that PM-JAY has significantly improved access across a broad range of spinal pathologies, while also reducing out-of-pocket expenditure. The year-on-year rise in PM-JAY-funded surgeries reflects growing patient awareness, administrative streamlining, and institutional adaptation to the scheme.” Dr Kumar said.