India's PM-RAHAT cashless treatment scheme for road accident victims has settled only 7,871 out of 12,727 claims since its February 2026 launch. While Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh show progress, high-fatality states like Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan report minimal usage, highlighting significant regional gaps in implementation.
The Pradhan Mantri Road Accident Victims' Hospitalization and Assured Treatment (PM-RAHAT) scheme, introduced on February 13, 2026, was designed to provide immediate, cashless medical care to road accident victims across the country. Official data presented to the Lok Sabha on July 30, 2026, indicates that the scheme has faced significant operational challenges in its first five months. As of July 28, the government reported that only 62% of the 12,727 initiated claims have been settled, with total financial disbursements reaching ₹10.1 crore.
Regional Disparity in Scheme Adoption
There is a stark contrast in how different states have utilized the scheme. The data reveals that the benefits are currently concentrated in specific regions, with Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh acting as the primary adopters. These two states alone represent nearly two-thirds of the total claims initiated under the program. Gujarat has seen disbursements of ₹4.6 crore, while Madhya Pradesh follows with ₹3.4 crore. This concentration suggests that while the infrastructure for cashless treatment is functioning in certain areas, the program has yet to achieve a uniform national footprint.
Challenges in High-Fatality Corridors
One of the most critical concerns for the government is the low participation from states that historically report a high number of road accidents on national highways. Despite having a high volume of fatalities, states such as Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have shown very little engagement with the scheme. For instance, Uttar Pradesh reported 3,913 road accident deaths on national highways in 2026, yet only 344 claims were initiated in the state, with only five reaching the settlement stage. Rajasthan presents a similar trend, having initiated 144 claims with zero approvals to date. Other major states including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal also report low activity levels, which limits the intended impact of the program on reducing out-of-pocket medical expenses for victims.
Efforts Toward Wider Implementation
Nitin Gadkari, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways, has acknowledged the slow progress and stated that the ministry is actively working with various state governments and Union Territories. The primary focus of these discussions is to accelerate the empanelment of more hospitals, particularly those located near accident-prone stretches of national highways. The government's objective remains to reduce delays in emergency care, but the current data shows that achieving this requires better integration between highway infrastructure and local hospital networks. Investors and policy watchers will continue to track whether the ministry can successfully broaden the hospital network and simplify the claim settlement process to improve the scheme's penetration in high-risk zones.