Ayushman Bharat Yojana: Card Download, Beneficiary Status & Eligibility in 2026
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) is India's largest government-funded health insurance scheme, providing a health cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation across empanelled hospitals. Administered by the National Health Authority (NHA) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, PM-JAY currently covers over 55 crore beneficiaries from low-income and vulnerable families. This page explains who is eligible, how to check your Ayushman Bharat beneficiary status, how to download your Ayushman card, and how to find a hospital near you.
What is Ayushman Bharat?
Ayushman Bharat is a two-component national health mission launched in 2018 by the Government of India. The first component is Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs), upgrading primary health centres for comprehensive preventive and curative care. The second and more widely known component is Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), the health insurance arm.
PM-JAY was launched on 23 September 2018 and provides eligible families with cashless and paperless treatment of up to ₹5 lakh per year at government and empanelled private hospitals for over 1,929 medical procedures across specialties. Beneficiaries are identified based on deprivation and occupational criteria from the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data for rural families, and occupational criteria for urban families. In 2024, the scheme was expanded to cover all citizens aged 70 years and above regardless of income, under a new component called Ayushman Vay Vandana. The scheme is implemented jointly by the central and state governments (60:40 cost-sharing for most states; 90:10 for NE states).
Key Benefits of Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY
| Benefit Type | Amount / Description | Applicable Category |
|---|---|---|
| Annual health cover | ₹5 lakh per family per year | All eligible PM-JAY families |
| Senior citizen cover (70+) | ₹5 lakh per individual per year (Ayushman Vay Vandana) | All citizens aged 70+ years |
| Treatment type | Secondary and tertiary hospitalisation, 1,929+ medical procedures | All beneficiaries |
| Pre and post hospitalisation | 3 days pre-hospitalisation and 15 days post-hospitalisation expenses covered | All beneficiaries |
| Cashless and paperless | No out-of-pocket payment at empanelled hospitals | All beneficiaries |
| Portability | Treatment availed at any empanelled hospital across India, not limited to home state | All beneficiaries |
| No premium | Beneficiaries pay no premium, fully government funded | All beneficiaries |
| Family size | No cap on family size, entire family covered under ₹5 lakh | All PM-JAY families |
Eligibility Criteria
PM-JAY beneficiaries are identified from the SECC 2011 database, there is no individual application process for most beneficiaries. Eligibility is pre-determined based on socioeconomic deprivation criteria.
Rural Families, eligible if ANY of the following apply:
| Deprivation Criterion | Description |
|---|---|
| Housing | Only one room with kuchha walls and kuchha roof |
| Family composition | Families with no adult male member aged 16–59 |
| Female-headed household | No adult male member; female-headed family |
| Disabled member | Any member with disability as principal earning member |
| No able-bodied adult | Families with no able-bodied adult |
| SC/ST household | Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe family |
| Landless agricultural labour | Primary income from manual casual labour |
Urban Families, eligible based on occupational categories:
Ragpicker, Beggar, Domestic worker, Street vendor / cobbler / hawker, Construction worker / plumber / mason / painter / welder, Sanitation worker / gardener / sweeper, Home-based worker / artisan / handicraft worker, Transport worker / driver / conductor / helper / cart puller / rickshaw puller, Shop worker / assistant / peon / helper / delivery assistant / attendant, Electrician / mechanic / assembler / repair worker, Washer / chowkidar.
Ayushman Vay Vandana (70+ citizens): All Indian citizens aged 70 years and above are eligible regardless of income, family type, or existing PM-JAY status. They receive an additional ₹5 lakh individual cover.
Documents Required
| Document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Aadhaar card | Primary identity for beneficiary verification and Ayushman card generation |
| Ration card | Supplementary proof for SECC-listed families |
| Mobile number linked to Aadhaar | For OTP-based beneficiary authentication |
| Age proof (for 70+ Vay Vandana) | Aadhaar / birth certificate / school leaving certificate to confirm age ≥ 70 years |
No income proof or BPL certificate is required, eligibility is determined from SECC data, not self-declaration.
How to Check Ayushman Bharat Beneficiary Status
- Via NHA Beneficiary Portal: Visit beneficiary.nha.gov.in, enter your mobile number and complete OTP verification. Search by Aadhaar number, ration card number, or name + state + district.
- Via mera.pmjay.gov.in: Visit mera.pmjay.gov.in, enter mobile number, verify via OTP, and search status using Aadhaar or ration card.
- Via Ayushman App: Download the Ayushman App from Google Play Store or Apple App Store, log in with mobile and OTP, check status and download Ayushman card.
- At Ayushman Mitra: Every empanelled hospital has an Ayushman Mitra help desk staff who can verify eligibility via biometric authentication on the spot.
What Ayushman Bharat Covers, and What It Does Not
| Covered | Not Covered |
|---|---|
| Secondary and tertiary inpatient hospitalisation | OPD (outpatient) consultations |
| 1,929+ medical and surgical procedures | Medicines bought outside hospital |
| Pre-hospitalisation costs (3 days) | Dental procedures (unless surgically required) |
| Post-hospitalisation costs (15 days) | Cosmetic treatments |
| ICU and specialist charges | Non-empanelled private hospitals |
| Medicines and diagnostics during admission | Experimental or unproven treatments |
| Day care procedures | Injuries from self-harm or substance abuse |
State-Wise Implementation of Ayushman Bharat
| State | State Scheme Name | Implementation Body | State-Specific Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh | Ayushman Bharat (central only) | State Health Agency, UP | Largest number of PM-JAY empanelled hospitals; Ayushman Mitras in all district hospitals |
| Maharashtra | Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY) + PM-JAY | State Health Assurance Society | State scheme covers additional procedures; combined cover exceeds ₹5 lakh for eligible families |
| Madhya Pradesh | Ayushman Bharat + MP state component | MP State Health Agency | Additional state top-up for specific high-cost procedures |
| Rajasthan | Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana | Rajasthan State Health Assurance Society | Rajasthan expanded coverage to all state residents (not just SECC list); ₹25 lakh cover per family |
| Gujarat | MA Amrutam + PM-JAY | Gujarat State Health Agency | MA Amrutam covers families above SECC threshold; combined portal for both schemes |
| West Bengal | Swasthya Sathi | West Bengal Health Department | WB opted out of PM-JAY; runs its own Swasthya Sathi scheme with ₹5 lakh cover for all families |
| Kerala | Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi (KASP) + PM-JAY | State Health Agency, Kerala | KASP covers additional categories beyond SECC; seamlessly integrated with PM-JAY |
| Andhra Pradesh | Dr. YSR Aarogyasri + PM-JAY | AP State Health Authority | Aarogyasri covers 2,490+ procedures; one of the most comprehensive state-central integrations |
| Karnataka | Arogya Karnataka + PM-JAY | Karnataka State Health Agency | Arogya Karnataka covers all state residents; PM-JAY SECC beneficiaries get additional cover |
| Tamil Nadu | Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance + PM-JAY | Tamil Nadu Health Systems | State scheme covers 23 lakh families; PM-JAY complements for SECC-listed families |
