On November 10, 2023, The National Health Authority (NHA), the implementing agency of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), renewed its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Health Research (DHR) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
The MoU reaffirms a commitment to evaluating the clinical efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and equity impact of medical technologies under AB-PMJAY. The partnership aims to strengthen technical cooperation for evidence-based decision-making, optimize healthcare resource allocation, and enhance quality across India's flagship health schemes. The agreement will extend collaboration to the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). Under this, DHR and ICMR, through the Health Technology Assessment India (HTAIn) initiative, will provide data-driven insights to evaluate digital health interventions.
Key areas of collaboration include:
* Costing of Healthcare Services: Utilizing cost data from the National Costing Initiative to rationalize reimbursement rates for healthcare procedures in both public and private sectors under PM-JAY.
* Standard Treatment Workflows: Implementing Standard Treatment Workflows (STWs) developed by DHR/ICMR's expert committees to ensure appropriate disease management, reduce unnecessary care, and enhance quality service delivery.
* Operational Research: Conducting targeted health systems research to address implementation challenges in AB-PMJAY, improve patient safety, and strengthen healthcare delivery.
The MoU was formally signed by Dr. Sunil Kumar Barnwal, CEO, National Health Authority, and Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research and Director General, ICMR. Senior officials including Ms. Jyoti Yadav, Joint Secretary (AB-PMJAY), Dr. Pankaj Arora, Director (NHA), and representatives from the Red Cross Society were present on the occasion.
The partnership between NHA and DHR/ICMR was initially established in November 2019.
Release ID: 2188503. Visitor Counter: 272.
Key Entities Referenced
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY): A health insurance scheme to provide financial risk protection to poor and vulnerable families for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR): An apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research.
Department of Health Research (DHR): The department under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare responsible for promoting health research.
National Health Authority (NHA): The implementing agency of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM): An initiative to create a national digital health ecosystem.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
NHA renews MoU with DHR and ICMR to
strengthen evidence-based healthcare
decision-making
MoU reaffirms commitment to evaluating clinical efficacy,
cost-effectiveness, and equity impact of medical
technologies under AB-PMJAY
NHA, DHR, and ICMR join hands to align healthcare
pricing, streamline treatments, and advance operational
research
Posted On: 10 NOV 2025 7:32PM by PIB Delhi
The National Health Authority (NHA), the implementing agency of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri
Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and the 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 collaboration aims to further strengthen technical cooperation for evidence-based
decision-making to optimize healthcare resource allocation and enhance quality across India’s
flagship health schemes.
The MoU was formally signed by Dr. Sunil Kumar Barnwal, CEO, National Health Authority, and Dr.
Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research and Director General, ICMR. Senior officials
including Ms. Jyoti Yadav, Joint Secretary (AB-PMJAY), Dr. Pankaj Arora, Director (NHA), and
representatives from the Red Cross Society were present on the occasion.The partnership between NHA and DHR/ICMR, initially established in November 2019, successfully
leveraged Health Technology Assessment (HTA) principles to support NHA in optimizing Health
Benefit Packages (HBPs) under AB-PMJAY. The renewed MoU reaffirms the shared commitment to
evaluating the clinical efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and equity impact of medical technologies,
procedures, and devices covered under the scheme.
Expanding its scope, the renewed agreement will also extend the collaboration to the Ayushman
Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). Under this, DHR and ICMR, through the Health Technology
Assessment India (HTAIn) initiative, will provide data-driven insights to evaluate digital health
interventions—including electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine platforms, and AI-based
diagnostics—to ensure their affordability, efficiency, and sustainability within the ABDM ecosystem.
Key areas of collaboration include:Costing of Healthcare Services: Utilizing cost data from the National Costing Initiative to
rationalize reimbursement rates for healthcare procedures in both public and private sectors under
PM-JAY.
Standard Treatment Workflows: Implementing Standard Treatment Workflows (STWs) developed
by DHR/ICMR’s expert committees to ensure appropriate disease management, reduce unnecessary
care, and enhance quality service delivery.
Operational Research: Conducting targeted health systems research to address implementation
challenges in AB-PMJAY, improve patient safety, and strengthen healthcare delivery.
This renewed partnership underscores the collective commitment of the Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare, National Health Authority, and Indian Council of Medical Research towards
achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by ensuring equitable access to safe, high-quality, and
affordable healthcare for all beneficiaries.
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SR
HFW- NHM MoU with DHR and ICMR/10th Nov 2025/3
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