To integrate data-driven decision-making in India’s healthcare ecosystem, the National Health Authority (NHA) has renewed its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Health Research (DHR) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The collaboration is designed to advance evidence-based policymaking, strengthen health technology assessment, and enhance the overall quality, cost-effectiveness, and equity of healthcare services under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).

The MoU was formally signed by Dr. Sunil Kumar Barnwal, CEO, National Health Authority, and Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, DHR and Director General, ICMR, in the presence of senior officials, including Ms Jyoti Yadav, Joint Secretary (AB-PMJAY), and Dr. Pankaj Arora, Director (NHA).

Originally inked in 2019, the NHA–DHR–ICMR partnership has played a pivotal role in guiding NHA’s policy and pricing frameworks by applying Health Technology Assessment (HTA) methodologies. These have helped evaluate the clinical efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and equity implications of medical technologies and procedures included in AB-PMJAY’s Health Benefit Packages (HBPs). The renewed MoU reinforces this commitment while expanding its scope to encompass digital health interventions under ABDM.

Under the renewed agreement, DHR and ICMR, through the Health Technology Assessment India (HTAIn) platform, will provide evidence-based insights to assess digital health tools—such as electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine platforms, and AI-based diagnostics—to ensure their effectiveness, affordability, and scalability within India’s national digital health ecosystem.

Key Focus Areas of the Renewed Collaboration

• Healthcare Costing and Pricing: Using data from the National Costing Initiative to rationalise reimbursement rates for medical procedures across public and private healthcare providers under AB-PMJAY.

• Standard Treatment Workflows (STWs): Integrating evidence-based clinical pathways developed by DHR/ICMR expert committees to improve disease management, reduce overtreatment, and enhance service quality.

• Operational and Implementation Research: Conducting collaborative research to address real-world challenges in PM-JAY implementation, focusing on patient safety, service delivery efficiency, and equitable access.

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The renewed MoU signals a strategic alignment between NHA, DHR, and ICMR to ensure that India’s flagship healthcare programs are guided by robust scientific evidence and economic rationale. It also underscores the government’s vision of leveraging research, technology, and innovation to accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Through this collaboration, the three institutions aim to create a more responsive, efficient, and value-based healthcare system—one that ensures equitable access to quality care for every Ayushman Bharat beneficiary, while promoting sustainable health financing and clinical excellence.

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