Ayushman Bharat Card 2026 — Apply Online for ₹5 Lakh Free Treatment
Ayushman Bharat (PMJAY) 2026: Apply online for the ₹5 lakh free-treatment health card. Eligibility, eKYC steps, hospital list, status check and rejection fixes.
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Quick summary. Ayushman Bharat — PMJAY is the world’s largest publicly-funded health insurance scheme. It gives ₹5 lakh per family per year for cashless treatment at empanelled public and private hospitals. Eligibility: SECC 2011 deprivation list, plus all senior citizens aged 70+ from October 2024. Apply mode: Online via beneficiary.nha.gov.in using your Aadhaar, or offline at any PMJAY-empanelled hospital.
Ayushman Bharat — Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is the central government’s health-cover scheme for low-income families. Launched in September 2018, it has been expanded twice — in October 2024 to include all citizens aged 70 and above (regardless of income), and in 2025 to add specialist day-care procedures and mental health treatment to the cover list. As of the latest National Health Authority data, 38 crore Ayushman cards have been issued and 8 crore hospital admissions have been authorised under PMJAY.
The card is free, requires only a few minutes of self-eKYC if you’re already on the SECC 2011 list, and works at any of the 30,000+ empanelled hospitals across India for cashless secondary and tertiary treatment.
Scheme at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Scheme name | Ayushman Bharat — Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) |
| Launched by | National Health Authority, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare |
| Launched | September 2018, expanded October 2024 |
| Cover | ₹5 lakh per family per year (cashless, secondary & tertiary care) |
| Card cost | Free |
| Eligibility | SECC 2011 deprivation list, OR Indian citizen aged 70+ |
| Empanelled hospitals | 30,000+ across India (public + private) |
| Apply mode | Online + Offline |
| Official portal | beneficiary.nha.gov.in |
Who is eligible for the Ayushman Bharat card?
Educational Qualification
Not applicable
Age Limit (As on Date of application)
0 to 120 Years
Other Requirements
- Nationality: Indian citizen
- Family must be on the SECC 2011 deprivation list (rural) OR occupational category list (urban) — automatic eligibility, no income proof needed
- OR — any Indian citizen aged 70 years and above (PM-JAY 70+ scheme since October 2024) — regardless of family income
- Family is the unit — Ayushman card covers all members listed in the SECC household
- ASHA workers, anganwadi workers and Building & Other Construction Workers (BOCW) registered with state boards are also covered
In simple terms. Two clean entry routes: (1) if your name is on the SECC 2011 list (most BPL / EWS families are), the entire family is automatically eligible. (2) From October 2024, anyone aged 70 or above gets a card regardless of income — even pensioners with private insurance. This is the easiest way for senior citizens to get their card.
What does the ₹5 lakh cover include?
| Cover area | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Hospital admission | Pre-existing diseases covered from day 1, no waiting period |
| Surgical procedures | 1,949+ procedures: cardiac, oncology, orthopaedic, neuro |
| Daycare procedures | Dialysis, chemotherapy, cataract, dental — without overnight admission |
| Pre-hospitalisation | Diagnostics + medicines up to 3 days before admission |
| Post-hospitalisation | Medicines + follow-ups up to 15 days after discharge |
| Mental health (since 2025) | Inpatient psychiatric care + addiction treatment |
| Maternity + newborn | Delivery, C-section, newborn ICU |
| Not covered | OPD consultations, cosmetic procedures, fertility treatment |
Treatment is fully cashless at any empanelled hospital — you walk in, show the card, and the hospital bills the National Health Authority directly. No co-pay and no upfront deposit.
What documents are required?
While filling online form
- Aadhaar card (must be linked to an active mobile number for OTP)
- Ration card OR voter ID (any one — used to confirm your SECC entry)
- Recent passport-size photograph (auto-captured during eKYC if you use the mobile app)
- Active mobile number for OTP verification
The 70+ scheme requires only Aadhaar — no ration card or SECC entry needed. The portal recognises the age field on Aadhaar and unlocks the senior-citizen track automatically.
How to apply for the Ayushman Bharat card
Method 1 — Apply online (self-eKYC via portal)
- Visit beneficiary.nha.gov.in.
- Click Beneficiary → Login → Aadhaar, enter your Aadhaar number, verify the OTP.
- The portal shows your family’s SECC entry (if found). Click Generate Card next to each family member.
- Complete eKYC for each member — Aadhaar OTP or face-authentication on the Ayushman App.
- Download the Ayushman Card PDF for each family member (it’s a digital card with a unique 9-character ID).
- The physical card arrives by post in 15–30 days (optional — the digital card is enough).
⏰ Last Date: Open (rolling registrations — no deadline)
Apply on PMJAY portalClicking this button will take you to the official government portal.
Method 2 — Apply at a PMJAY-empanelled hospital or CSC
- Visit any empanelled hospital (find your nearest using the official locator) or any Common Service Centre.
- Carry your Aadhaar and ration card / voter ID.
- The PMJAY desk staff will run the eKYC on the spot — Aadhaar OTP or biometric.
- Card is generated and printed within 10–15 minutes. No fee.
Most large hospitals have a PMJAY desk at the entrance specifically for new card generation. If your relative is admitted and doesn’t have a card yet, this is the fastest route — they get the card and the cashless treatment kicks in for the same admission.
How to check Ayushman Bharat card status
- Visit beneficiary.nha.gov.in → Beneficiary login.
- Sign in with Aadhaar + OTP.
- The dashboard shows: Card status for each family member (Generated / Pending KYC / Rejected) and the 9-character Ayushman ID if generated.
- Download the card PDF directly from the dashboard.
If your status shows rejected or pending, the most common reasons:
| Reason shown | What to do |
|---|---|
| Name not in SECC 2011 list | Apply through PM-JAY 70+ if any family member is 70+ ; otherwise wait for the next SECC re-survey or check state-specific top-up schemes |
| Aadhaar not seeded with mobile | Update at any Aadhaar enrolment centre — required for OTP-based eKYC |
| Family ID mismatch | Visit a PMJAY desk at any empanelled hospital with all family members’ Aadhaars to re-verify |
| Photo / fingerprint mismatch | Re-do eKYC via the Ayushman App with face-authentication (works even if fingerprints are worn) |
Frequently asked questions
1. Who is eligible for the Ayushman Bharat card?
2. Is the Ayushman card free?
3. How much treatment cover do I get?
4. Can senior citizens apply if they are not on the SECC list?
5. Where can I get treatment with the Ayushman card?
6. What is NOT covered under PMJAY?
7. How long does the card last?
8. Can I use the card outside my home state?
Latest updates on Ayushman Bharat
The PM-JAY 70+ track (announced October 2024) extended cover to all senior citizens aged 70 and above regardless of income — this added an estimated 4.5 crore senior citizens to the scheme. The 2025 expansion added inpatient mental health and addiction treatment to the covered procedure list, plus 200+ new daycare procedures. The 2026 budget allocated ₹15,000 crore to PMJAY, the highest-ever annual outlay.
Official links
Disclaimer. SarkariBaba is an independent information publisher. We are not affiliated with the National Health Authority. Always verify current eligibility and procedure cover at beneficiary.nha.gov.in before relying on this article for treatment decisions.
