Information Asymmetry in Public Health Schemes: A Sociological Assessment of PMJAY Awareness in Rural Budaun, Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

Universal health coverage relies not just on having public health programs, but on how well citizens can use these policies by having access to information about, understand them, and take advantage of them. The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) was developed out of Ayushman Bharat for the purpose of providing financial protection and increased access to secondary and tertiary care for vulnerable populations in India. While this program has increased the size of the formal healthcare system, individuals' actual usage of services have been influenced by their access to information about the program, particularly in rural areas. The distribution of awareness and the way in which people are talking about this program create information asymmetry that limit public welfare program effectiveness. This study will examine the information asymmetry of PM-JAY through sociologically examining the levels of awareness and understanding of the program by rural households in the Budaun district in Uttar Pradesh. The study will determine whether or not location in society, education level, institutional outreach, and access to communication types influence people's awareness levels and ultimately their ability to utilize the PM-JAY program. Using an empirical and policy-oriented analytical method, the research applied a mixed-method approach supported by both household-level evidence and policy secondary data as its primary source for data analysis. The study's approach to interpret the patterns of awareness, sources of information, perceived accessibility, and the differences between formal enrollment and the way that people perceive they understand the benefits of the scheme is through qualitative analysis of statistical evidence obtained through interviews with multiple stakeholders involved in PM-JAY program implementation and secondary analysis of policy documents related to PM-JAY program development. The findings reveal that while PM-JAY coverage does not ensure informed use of this program, there is a difference in the level of awareness among individuals by educational level, gender, socio-economic status, and exposure to institutional communications regarding PM-JAY. There is still continued reliance on informal social networks and local intermediaries for information about PM-JAY. Additionally, individuals still do not understand how to determine their eligibility for PM-JAY or the procedures for enrolling in PM-JAY, which has limited the effective access of individuals to this program. Based on the findings, the research highlights that the unequal access to information represents a significant sociological barrier to healthcare inclusion. Therefore, in order to achieve inclusive public health outcomes and convert policy entitlements into real healthcare access, it will be necessary to strengthen decentralized communication systems, conduct community outreach, and establish mechanisms for equitable information distribution.