Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY: Who's Eligible & How to Check
Quick answer: Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY gives eligible families ₹5 lakh per year of free, cashless hospital treatment. You qualify if your family is in the SECC 2011 deprived list or your state's expanded list — and everyone aged 70+ now qualifies regardless of income. Check in 2 minutes at beneficiary.nha.gov.in with your mobile number or Aadhaar.
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What Ayushman Bharat covers
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) is the world's largest publicly funded health insurance scheme. Eligible families get ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation — surgery, cardiac care, cancer treatment, dialysis and more — across empanelled government and private hospitals nationwide. Treatment is cashless and paperless at the hospital's Ayushman desk, covers pre-existing conditions from day one, and includes pre- and post-hospitalisation expenses. Outpatient (OPD) visits and medicines outside hospitalisation are not covered.
Who is eligible for PM-JAY
Rural families (SECC 2011 deprivation categories)
- Households living in one-room kucha (makeshift) houses
- Households with no adult member aged 16–59
- Female-headed households with no adult male member aged 16–59
- Households with a disabled member and no able-bodied adult
- SC/ST households
- Landless households earning mainly from manual casual labour
- Automatically included: destitute households, manual scavengers, primitive tribal groups, legally released bonded labourers
Urban families (occupational categories)
Eligibility follows listed occupations — including domestic workers, street vendors and hawkers, construction workers, sanitation workers, rickshaw pullers and drivers, ragpickers, security guards, washermen, tailors, and similar informal-sector workers.
Seniors aged 70+ — universal (Ayushman Vay Vandana Card)
Since the scheme's 2024 expansion, every Indian aged 70 or above is eligible regardless of income. Seniors in families already covered get an additional ₹5 lakh top-up for themselves; others get the full ₹5 lakh as standalone beneficiaries.
State expansions
Many states have widened the net using their own ration-card and welfare databases (and some run merged state schemes, like Tamil Nadu's CMCHIS). So even if you're not in SECC 2011, check anyway — your state may have added you.
How to check your eligibility (by mobile or Aadhaar)
- Visit beneficiary.nha.gov.in.
- Choose Beneficiary, enter your mobile number, and verify the OTP.
- Select your state, district, and scheme (PMJAY), then search by Aadhaar number, ration card, family ID, or PM-JAY ID.
- If your family appears, each member's card status shows. Complete Aadhaar e-KYC for unverified members and download the card as a PDF.
Alternatives: the Ayushman App (with face-authentication e-KYC, handy for seniors), calling 14555, or visiting any empanelled hospital's Ayushman Mitra desk or a CSC.
Documents needed
- Aadhaar card (the primary document — linked mobile makes OTP e-KYC easy)
- Ration card (establishes the family unit and helps lookup)
- Mobile number
- No income certificate is required — eligibility is list-based, not application-based
Using the card at a hospital
- Find an empanelled hospital via the portal's hospital search or call 14555.
- Show your Ayushman card (or Aadhaar) at the hospital's Ayushman Mitra / PM-JAY desk.
- The hospital verifies your identity and raises a pre-authorisation — you pay nothing for covered treatments, before or after.
Frequently asked questions
Who is eligible for Ayushman Bharat?
SECC 2011 deprived rural families, listed urban worker categories, state-expanded ration-card families — and universally, everyone aged 70+ via the Vay Vandana card.
How do I check eligibility by Aadhaar or mobile?
Log in at beneficiary.nha.gov.in with mobile + OTP, then search yourself by Aadhaar, ration card, or PM-JAY ID for your state and district.
What does the scheme cover?
₹5 lakh/family/year of cashless hospitalisation across nearly 2,000 treatment packages, pre-existing conditions included. OPD costs aren't covered.
Are all seniors above 70 eligible?
Yes — regardless of income. Seniors in covered families get a dedicated ₹5 lakh top-up of their own.
Is there a fee for the Ayushman card?
No. Eligibility checks, e-KYC, and card download are free. Beware of agents who "guarantee" inclusion for money — eligibility is list-based and can't be bought.
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Sources: NHA Beneficiary Portal, National Health Authority, NHA senior-citizen FAQ. Scheme rules change — always confirm on official portals. Last verified 5 June 2026.