The Ayushman Card is a digital health ID issued under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). It enables eligible beneficiaries to avail cashless hospitalisation benefits of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary healthcare services. Since September 2024, the scheme has been expanded to cover all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, who are issued a dedicated Ayushman Vay Vandana Card.
As of June 2026, Ayushman Bharat PMJAY is operational across all 28 States and 8 Union Territories in India.
Ayushman Bharat PMJAY Coverage in India 2026
Ayushman Bharat PMJAY is now operational across the country. Several major states have joined the scheme in recent years.
- Odisha implemented Ayushman Bharat PMJAY in January 2025, issuing co-branded health cards under the scheme.
- Delhi became the 35th State/UT to implement PMJAY in April 2025.
- Ayushman Bharat PMJAY has emerged as one of the largest government-funded healthcare schemes in the world.
Ayushman Bharat Coverage in West Bengal 2026
West Bengal officially joined Ayushman Bharat PMJAY on 8 June 2026 after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Health Authority (NHA). With this development, PMJAY became operational across all States and Union Territories in India. The implementation of PMJAY in West Bengal is expected to extend healthcare benefits to nearly 1.43 crore families across the state.
What is Covered under Ayushman Bharat Yojana Scheme?
Under PMJAY, eligible families receive cashless health coverage of up to ₹5,00,000 for listed secondary and tertiary care treatments. The Ayushman Bharat Yojana Scheme covers expenses related to the following components of treatment:
- Medical examinations, treatment and doctor consultations
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and non-intensive care services
- Medicines and medical consumables
- Diagnostic tests and laboratory investigations
- Treatment of complications arising during hospitalisation
- Hospital accommodation expenses
- Medical implant services
- Food provided to the patient during hospitalisation
- Pre-hospitalisation expenses for up to 3 days
- Post-hospitalisation follow-up care for up to 15 days
What is Not Covered under Ayushman Bharat Yojana Scheme?
Certain treatments and healthcare services are excluded from coverage under Ayushman Bharat PMJAY.
The key exclusions include:
- Outpatient Department (OPD) expenses that do not require hospitalisation
- Cosmetic and aesthetic procedures
- Fertility and infertility treatments
- Drug rehabilitation programmes
- Dental procedures such as fillings, dental implants and root canal treatment, unless they are associated with hospitalisation
- Non-emergency vaccinations that are not part of government immunisation programmes
- Experimental or unapproved medical treatments
- Medical conditions requiring less than 24 hours of hospitalisation, unless specifically covered under the scheme
- Standalone diagnostic tests conducted without hospital admission
Ayushman Card Eligibility
The following categories of urban and rural households are eligible for an Ayushman Card.
I. Urban Households
- Ragpickers
- Beggars
- Domestic workers
- Street vendors, hawkers, cobblers and other service providers working on streets
- Construction workers, masons, plumbers, labourers, welders, painters, coolies, security guards and other head-load workers
- Sweepers, sanitation workers and malis
- Home-based workers, handicraft workers, artisans and tailors
- Transport workers, including conductors, drivers, cart pullers, helpers to drivers and conductors, and rickshaw pullers
- Assistants, shop workers, peons employed in small establishments, delivery assistants, helpers, waiters and attendants
- Electricians, assemblers, mechanics and repair workers
- Washermen and chowkidars
II. Rural Households
- Families living in single-room kucha houses
- Households with no adult member aged between 16 and 59 years
- SC/ST households
- Families with a disabled member and no non-disabled adult member
- Households with no adult male member aged between 16 and 59 years
- Landless families that depend on manual casual labour for their livelihood
III. Senior Citizens
All senior citizens aged 70 years and above, in both rural and urban areas, are eligible for the scheme.
- Senior citizens already covered under Ayushman Bharat PMJAY (AB PMJAY) are eligible to receive an additional top-up health cover of up to ₹5 lakh per year.
- Senior citizens currently enrolled under other government health insurance schemes, including the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) or Ayushman Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), may either continue with their existing scheme or opt to switch to AB PMJAY.
- Senior citizens covered under private health insurance policies or the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) scheme are also eligible for AB PMJAY.
Documents Required for Ayushman Card
The following documents may be required during Ayushman Card registration, beneficiary verification or e-KYC:
- Aadhaar Card for identity verification and Aadhaar-based authentication
- Aadhaar-linked mobile number for OTP verification
- Ration Card or Family ID for beneficiary search in eligible states
- Address proof
- PAN Card or any other valid identity proof
- Income certificate, where applicable
- Caste certificate, wherever required
- Proof of family relationship for family-based verification
- Passport-size photograph
Additional Documents for Ayushman Vay Vandana Card
- Aadhaar Card is mandatory for senior citizens aged 70 years and above.
- Biometric authentication or Aadhaar OTP verification may be required during the registration process.
Ayushman Card Online Registration Process
Registration (e-KYC) is the digital verification process for individuals whose names are already listed in government databases such as SECC 2011 or NFSA. Through this process, eligible beneficiaries can verify their identity and download their Ayushman Card.
Those wondering how to apply for an Ayushman Card online can complete the registration process through either the NHA-PMJAY Beneficiary Portal or the Ayushman App.
I. Through the NHA-PMJAY Beneficiary Portal
Step 1: Visit the beneficiary portal. Alternatively, you can visit the official PMJAY website and click on ‘Am I Eligible’, which will redirect you to the beneficiary portal.
Step 2: Enter your mobile number, captcha code and OTP to log in.
Step 3: Select your State, choose ‘PMJAY’ under the Sub Scheme, select your District, choose a search method (Aadhaar Number, PMJAY ID, Family ID or Name), enter the required details and click ‘Search’.
Step 4: If your name appears with the status ‘Not Generated’, click on the ‘Do e-KYC’ button.
Step 5: Select the ‘Aadhaar OTP’ authentication option. Your Aadhaar number will be displayed automatically. Click ‘Verify’.
Step 6: Provide your consent by ticking the checkbox and clicking ‘Allow’. Enter both the Aadhaar OTP and the mobile OTP. The system will match your e-KYC details. If the Matching Score is sufficiently high, your registration will be approved instantly.
Step 7: Once the verification is successfully completed, click on ‘Download Card’ to download your Ayushman Card.
II. Through the Ayushman App
Step 1: Download and install the Ayushman App from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
Step 2: Open the app and log in using your mobile number and OTP verification.
Step 3: Search for your beneficiary details using your Aadhaar Number, Family ID, PMJAY ID or location details.
Step 4: Complete the e-KYC process by choosing any one of the available verification methods—Aadhaar OTP, Face Authentication, Fingerprint or Iris Scan.
Step 5: The app will ask you to capture a live photograph using your phone’s camera. The photo must match the Aadhaar records for instant verification.
Step 6: Review all the details carefully, submit your registration request and download your Ayushman Card directly through the app once your registration is approved.
Hospitalisation Process in Ayushman Bharat Yojana
Cashless treatment under PMJAY is available at more than 30,000 empanelled hospitals across India, including both government and private healthcare institutions.
- Beneficiaries should check the list of empanelled hospitals online or visit a Common Services Centre (CSC) for assistance.
- Visit the selected empanelled hospital and present your Ayushman Card along with the required identity documents at the reception.
- The hospital will verify your details by scanning the QR code available on the Ayushman Card.
- Once the verification is completed successfully, the hospital will initiate the admission process and provide cashless treatment for the covered medical conditions and procedures.
How to Find Empanelled Hospitals Under PMJAY?
Beneficiaries can search for empanelled hospitals online before availing cashless treatment under the scheme.
Step 1: Open the PMJAY Hospital Locator Portal.
Step 2: Select your State, District, Speciality and Hospital Type.
Step 3: Click on ‘Search’ to view the list of empanelled hospitals.
Step 4: Visit your preferred empanelled hospital with your Ayushman Card and Aadhaar verification documents.
The portal provides details of both government and private empanelled hospitals under Ayushman Bharat PMJAY.
Medical Packages Under Ayushman Bharat Yojana
Ayushman Bharat Yojana offers comprehensive treatment packages covering a wide range of medical procedures.
- Day-care procedures are covered under the scheme in the same manner as surgical packages.
- The scheme covers treatment across nearly 24 specialities, including super-speciality services such as neurosurgery, oncology, cardio-thoracic surgery and cardiovascular surgery, among others.
- The package rate for surgical procedures and defined day-care treatments includes the following:
- Registration charges
- General ward bed charges
- Nursing and boarding charges
- Fees of surgeons, medical practitioners, anaesthetists and consultants
- Anaesthesia, operation theatre (OT) charges, blood transfusion, oxygen and surgical appliance costs
- Medicines and drugs
- Cost of implants or prosthetic devices (unless payable separately)
- Pathology and radiology investigations, including MRI, X-ray and CT scan
- Pre- and post-hospitalisation expenses
- Any other treatment-related expenses incurred at empanelled hospitals
Ayushman Card Helpline Number
For any assistance related to the Ayushman Card, beneficiaries can contact the Ayushman Card helpline number 14555. For queries related to the Ayushman Vay Vandana Scheme, beneficiaries can give a missed call on 1800-110-770.
Ayushman Card Benefits
The Ayushman Card offers several healthcare benefits to eligible beneficiaries, including:
- Eligible families can avail cashless treatment ranging from ₹30,000 to ₹5,00,000 per year for listed secondary and tertiary care conditions at empanelled hospitals through the Ayushman Card.
- The card provides access to cashless treatment across 24 speciality areas, including oncology, cardiology, neurosurgery, orthopaedics, and several other medical disciplines.
- Eligible beneficiaries can also claim pre-hospitalisation expenses, post-hospitalisation charges and medical expenses for up to 15 days, subject to the scheme’s provisions.
- The Ayushman Card covers approximately 1,929 treatment procedures, including expenses related to treatment, medicines, diagnostic services, medical supplies, room charges, physician consultation fees, operation theatre (OT) charges, surgeon fees, ICU charges and other eligible hospitalisation costs.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Healthcare is not a privilege; it is a fundamental human right. We believe that a society’s true progress is measured by how it cares for its most vulnerable members, particularly its elderly and economically disadvantaged.
Initiatives like the Ayushman Card foster a more empathetic and harmonious nation by ensuring that a medical diagnosis does not become a financial crisis. However, the success of such schemes relies heavily on on-ground awareness, seamless technology, and the compassionate treatment of patients at empanelled hospitals. While the government has built a sturdy framework for social support, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that no eligible family is left behind due to a lack of information. Have you or someone in your community benefited from the Ayushman Bharat scheme, and what more do you think can be done to improve healthcare accessibility in our rural areas?
