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) to strengthen evidence-based decision-making in healthcare policy and implementation.

The renewed partnership aims to enhance technical cooperation for data-driven resource allocation and quality improvement across India’s flagship health initiatives — Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).

The MoU was signed by Dr. Sunil Kumar Barnwal, CEO, NHA, and Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, DHR and Director General, ICMR, in the presence of senior officials and representatives from the Red Cross Society.

Originally established in November 2019, the NHA–DHR–ICMR collaboration utilized Health Technology Assessment (HTA) principles to optimize Health Benefit Packages (HBPs) under AB-PMJAY. The renewed agreement expands the scope to include digital health technologies under ABDM—such as EHRs, telemedicine platforms, and AI-based diagnostics—ensuring their cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability.

Key focus areas include:

Costing of Healthcare Services: Using data from the National Costing Initiative to rationalize reimbursement rates.

Standard Treatment Workflows (STWs): Implementing uniform care protocols to improve quality and reduce unnecessary interventions.

Operational Research: Conducting studies to address implementation challenges and strengthen patient safety and healthcare delivery.

This collaboration reinforces the collective goal of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, NHA, and ICMR to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by ensuring equitable, affordable, and high-quality healthcare for all.