Ayushman Card (also known as Ayushman Bharat Card or PM-JAY card) is part of the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), a flagship health insurance scheme by the Government of India. It provides cashless and paperless hospitalization coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care treatments at empanelled public and private hospitals across the country.
Key Features and Benefits
- Coverage: ₹5 lakh per family annually (no limit on family size, age, or gender).
- Includes: Pre-existing conditions from day one, pre-hospitalization (3 days), post-hospitalization (15 days), diagnostics, medicines, etc.
- Cashless treatment at any empanelled hospital anywhere in India (portable).
- No restrictions based on current health status.
Who is Eligible?
Eligibility is mainly based on the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data:
- Rural areas — Families meeting deprivation criteria (e.g., no adult member aged 16-59, kutcha house, landless laborers, etc.) or automatically included categories (e.g., SC/ST, manual scavengers).
- Urban areas — Occupational categories like ragpickers, beggars, domestic workers, street vendors, construction workers, sanitation workers, etc.
Important update (effective since 2024): All senior citizens aged 70 years and above are eligible for ₹5 lakh coverage, regardless of income or socio-economic status. They may get a distinct card, and there’s additional top-up for those already in covered families.
In Odisha (since you’re in Bhubaneswar), the scheme is implemented, and eligibility follows the national criteria with state-level empanelled hospitals.
How to Check Eligibility and Get the Card
- Visit the official beneficiary portal: https://beneficiary.nha.gov.in/
- Use the “Am I Eligible?” section or search by name, mobile number, ration card, etc.
- Many beneficiaries can now generate/download their Ayushman card themselves via the Ayushman App (available on Google Play/App Store) or the portal — it’s become much easier with self-generation options.
- Required documents usually include Aadhaar card (for e-KYC), ration card (if applicable), or other proofs.
- If eligible, you can link Aadhaar, add family members, and download the e-card.
Official Resources
- Main scheme info: National Health Authority (NHA) website → http://nha.gov.in/PM-JAY or https://pmjay.gov.in/
- Beneficiary portal for card download/check: https://beneficiary.nha.gov.in/
- Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (for ABHA health ID, related but separate): https://abdm.gov.in/
- Helpline: 14555 or 1800-111-565 (toll-free)
If you share more details (like if you’re checking for yourself, family, or a senior citizen), or need help with eligibility check steps, let me know! You can also visit a nearby empanelled hospital or Common Service Centre (CSC) in Odisha