Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana PMJAY-Ayushman Bharat from here Sunday.
Describing it as a "game changer", Modi said the scheme was a step towards serving the poor people of the country and it would come into effect from Sunday.
"Some call it Modicare, some call it a scheme for the poor. It is definitely a scheme to serve the poor," he said.
The prime minister also congratulated the team of experts that was instrumental in implementing the scheme.
PMJAY-Ayushman Bharat is the biggest government-sponsored healthcare scheme in the world, Modi added.