Ayushman Card: Eligibility, Age Limit, Registration, Benefits, Helpline Number

The Ayushman Card is a health ID issued under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). It offers cashless hospitalisation of up to Rs. 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care. The card helps low-income and vulnerable groups access quality healthcare at empanelled public and private hospitals across India. 

This article explains what is Ayushman Card, its eligibility criteria, benefits, registration process, and how to use the card.

Ayushman Bharat Scheme and Card (PMJAY) Overview

What is Ayushman Card?

The Ayushman Bharat card is issued under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). It is linked to the Ayushman Bharat Health Account and facilitates easy access to quality medical services and benefits provided under the PMJAY. 

The card ensures affordable and accessible healthcare for all eligible beneficiaries. It provides cashless and paperless access to secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation, covering up to Rs. 5 lakh annually per family.

Ayushman Card Eligibility

Here is the list of urban and rural households eligible for an Ayushman card:

Urban Households

• Ragpickers
• Beggars
• Domestic workers
• Street vendors, hawkers, cobblers or other service providers working on streets
• Construction workers, masons, plumbers, labours, welders, painters, coolie, security guards and other head-load workers
• Sweepers, sanitation workers and malis
• Home-based workers, handicraft workers, artisans and tailors
• Transport workers, conductors, drivers, cart pullers, helpers to drivers and conductors and rickshaw pullers
• Assistants, shop workers, peons in small establishments, delivery assistants, helpers, waiters and attendants
• Electricians, assemblers, mechanics and repair workers
• Washermen and chowkidars

Rural Households

• Families living in kucha houses with one-room
• Households with no adult members aged 16-59 years
• SC/ST households
• Families with a disabled member and not a non-disabled adult member
• Households with no adult male members aged 16-59 years
• Landless families that are dependent on manual casual labour

Senior Citizens

• All senior citizens aged above 70 years in both rural and urban areas
• Senior citizens already covered under the Ayushman Bharat PMJAY (AB PMJAY) are eligible to receive an additional top-up cover of up to Rs. 5 lakh per year 
• Senior citizens already receiving benefits from other public health insurance schemes, such as the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), or Ayushman Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) can continue with their current scheme or switch to AB PMJAY
• Senior citizens covered under private health insurance policies or the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) scheme are eligible for AB PMJAY

Ayushman Card Age & Income Limit

The Ayushman card is issued to all households covered under the Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 (SECC 2011). All household members, irrespective of age, are eligible to receive health insurance coverage of Rs. 5 lakh per year. 

However, since 11 September 2024, all senior citizens aged above 70 years are eligible for separate health coverage of Rs. 5 lakh apart from the coverage provided to other household members under the AB PMJAY. Thus, all senior citizens aged 70 years and above can apply for a separate Ayushman Vay Vandana card.

There is no prescribed income limit for the Ayushman card. Rural households and urban households which fulfil the eligibility criteria are eligible to apply for this card. 

Documents Required for Ayushman Card

You do not require any documents for Ayushman card registration. The only document required is an Aadhaar number.

Ayushman Card Online Registration Process

Here are the steps for Ayushman card registration online:

Step 1: Visit the official PMJAY website.

Step 2: Click the ‘Am I Eligible’ link from the top menu.

Step 3: Input the captcha code, mobile number and OTP for verification purposes.

Step 4: Enter the captcha code again and click the ‘Login’ button.

Step 5: Choose the ‘State’, ‘Sub scheme’ as ‘PMJAY’, ‘District’, ‘Search By’ and enter the required information and click ‘Search’.

Step 6: Click on the ‘Do e-KYC’ button. 

Step 7: To authenticate, select the ‘Aadhaar OTP’ option. Your Aadhaar number will be visible. Click ‘Verify’. 

Step 8: Tick the consent and click ‘Allow’. Enter the Aadhaar OTP and mobile OTP. You will get the completion of e-KYC message.

Step 9: Login to the PMJAY website after 15-20 minutes of e-KYC and click the ‘Download Card’ button.

Step 10: To authenticate, select the ‘Aadhaar OTP’ option. Your Aadhaar number will be visible. Click ‘Verify’. 

Step 11: Tick the consent and click ‘Allow’. Enter the Aadhaar OTP and mobile OTP. Click on the download icon to download your Ayushman card.

Apply for an Ayushman Vay Vandana card

The steps to apply for an Ayushman Vay Vandana card (for senior citizens above 70 years) are as follows:

Step 1: Visit the official PMJAY website.

Step 2: Click the ‘Am I Eligible’ link from the top menu.

Step 3: Input the captcha code, mobile number and OTP for verification purposes.

Step 4: Enter the captcha code again and click the ‘Login’ button.

Step 5: Select the ‘Click Here to Enroll’ button.

Step 6: Enter the Aadhaar number and captcha code and click ‘Search’.

Step 7: Click on the ‘Click Here for fresh enrollment of 70’ link.

Step 8: Select the ‘Aadhaar OTP’ option for e-KYC and click ‘Verify’ against your Aadhaar number.

Step 9: Tick the consent box and click ‘Allow’. Enter the Aadhaar OTP and mobile OTP, select whether you are a beneficiary of any other scheme, and click ‘Proceed.’

Step 10: Click on ‘Capture Photo’ and your photo will be captured and uploaded.

Step 11: Enter the additional information, and family members, and click ‘Submit’.

Step 12: Once e-KYC and enrollment are complete, log in to the PMJAY website and ‘Click Here to Enroll’ button.

Step 13: Enter the Aadhaar number and captcha code and click ‘Search’.

Step 14: Your name will be displayed, click on your name. Click on ‘Download Card’ to download it.

Hospitalisation Process in Ayushman Bharat Yojana

Here’s the hospitalisation process or how you can use your Ayushman card to avail its benefits​:

• Look for empanelled hospitals in your area. You can check online or visit a Common Services Center (CSC) for assistance.
• Visit the empanelled hospital and present your Ayushman card and identification documents at the hospital reception. 
• The hospital will verify your details by scanning the QR code in the card.
• Once verified, the hospital will initiate the admission process and provide cashless treatment for the covered conditions and procedures. 

Medical Packages Under Ayushman Bharat Yojana

Ayushman Bharat Yojana provides comprehensive treatment packages. Day-care packages are also covered under the this yojana just like surgical packages. It covers nearly 24 specialities, including super speciality care like neurosurgery, oncology, and cardio-thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, etc. The package rate (surgical or defined day-care benefits) includes the following:

• Registration charges
• General ward bed charges
• Nursing and boarding charges
• Surgeons, medical practitioner, anaesthetists, consultants’ fees, etc.
• Anaesthesia, OT charges, blood transfusion, oxygen, surgical appliances costs, etc.
• Medicines and drugs
• Cost of implants or prosthetic devices (unless payable separately)
• Pathology and radiology tests, such as MRI, X-ray, CT scan, etc. 
• Pre and Post hospitalisation expenses
• Any other expenses related to the treatment in the empanelled hospitals

What is Covered Under Ayushman Bharat Yojana Scheme?

PMJAY provides cashless cover of up to Rs. 5,00,000 to all members of the family for listed secondary and tertiary care conditions. The Ayushman Bharat Yojana Scheme covers the following expenses incurred on the following components of the treatment:

• Medical examination, treatment and consultation
• Intensive and non-intensive care services
• Medicine and medical consumables
• Diagnostic and laboratory investigations
• Complications arising during treatment
• Accommodation benefits
• Medical implantation services 
• Food to patient
• Pre-hospitalisation charges up to 3 days
• Post-hospitalisation follow-up care up to 15 days

What is Not Covered Under Ayushman Bharat Yojana Scheme?

There are certain exclusions under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana Scheme, which are as follows:

• Out patient department expenses
• Cosmetic surgeries
• Drug rehabilitation
• Individual diagnostics
• Fertility treatment
• Organ transplant

Benefits of Ayushman Card

The following are the key benefits of Ayushman card:

• Through the Ayushman card, eligible families can get cashless facilities in empanelled hospitals for listed secondary and tertiary care conditions ranging from Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 5,00,000 annually.
• Eligible families can get cashless treatment for 24 speciality areas, including oncology, cardiology, neurosurgery, orthopaedics, etc., through the Ayushman card.
• The eligible families can also claim pre-hospitalisation, post-discharge charges and medical charges for up to 15 days.
• The card covers services of around 1,929 procedures, covering all the costs related to treatment, drugs, diagnostic services,  supplies, room charges, physician's fees, OT, surgeon charges, ICU charges, etc.

Ayushman Card Helpline Number

For any assistance, you can contact the Ayushman card helpline number - 14555. 

The Ayushman Bharat Card is a powerful initiative that ensures access to quality healthcare for India’s poor and vulnerable populations. Understanding Ayushman card eligibility and applying online can help beneficiaries receive up to Rs. 5 lakh health cover annually. Ayushman card benefits include cashless hospitalisation which ensures that no one is denied quality medical treatment due to financial constraints.