Healthcare expenses are rising rapidly in India. There are many costs, like hospital admission, surgeries, medicines, and much more, that might increase difficulties for families. The Government of India launched Ayushman Bharat Yojana 2026, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) to reduce this burden.
Eligible families will get a free treatment of up to ₹5 lakh per year under this scheme. It aims to make healthcare more accessible across the nation. Keep reading to know more about this scheme.
What Is Ayushman Bharat Yojana?
It is a government-funded health insurance scheme created for those who belong to the economically weaker sections. It tries to give cashless and paperless treatment at empanelled hospitals. Meanwhile, it has 2 main parts. Below is the list of those parts:
- Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs): It is a primary healthcare service
- PMJAY: It is a hospitalisation cover of up to ₹5 lakh per family
The scheme is usually considered one of the biggest public health programs in the world because it helps crores of citizens.
What Is an Ayushman Card?
It is important entry pass that is important to avail the benefits under PMJAY. You can easily get the treatment using the Ayushman Card without paying any kind of hospital bills upfront. Check the important features of this card below:
- It offers a ₹5 lakh coverage per family per year.
- Cashless hospitalisation
- It is available in government and private hospitals.
- It covers pre- and post-hospitalisation costs.
- There is no limit on family size, age, or gender.
- Pre-existing diseases can be covered from day one after getting this card.
Treatments Covered Under Ayushman Bharat
Many kinds of medical services across different specialities are included under this scheme. The following are the top kinds of treatments that it covers:
- Heart Treatments
You can get treatment like Angioplasty, bypass surgery, and valve replacement for free under this card.
- Cancer Care
Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, cancer surgeries, and more also come under this scheme.
- Kidney Treatments
Dialysis and other kidney-related surgeries are also included in this coverage.
- Neurology
Brain surgery and stroke surgeries can also be done for free under this scheme.
- Orthopedic Care
It also covers fracture treatment, joint replacement, spine surgery, etc.
- Women & Maternity Care
Pregnancy complications, delivery services, and other Gynecological surgeries are also included in this scheme.
Apart from these treatments, it covers more than 1,900 medical procedures. Diagnostic, medicines, and hospital stay are also part of this cover.
Who is Eligible for Ayushman Bharat?
Although the Ayushman Bharat scheme tries to help over ten crores families (50 crores people, there are different categories for rural and urban beneficiaries. Eligibility is based on the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data. Check the list of eligible people below:
Rural Beneficiaries
- Landless families
- SC/ST households
- Families without adult members
- Daily wage workers
Urban Beneficiaries
- Domestic workers
- Street vendors
- Construction workers
- Drivers, helpers, and labourers
On top of that, people aged more than 70 can also enjoy extra benefits under the latest rules.
How to Get Free Treatment Under Ayushman Card
You must follow the following steps to apply for the Ayushman card:
Step 1: Check Eligibility
Initially, you should check if your family is eligible for the card by visiting the official website. After that, you can check the eligibility using the following:
- Mobile number
- Aadhaar card
- Ration card
Step 2: Find an Empanelled Hospital
You can only use these cards in an Empanelled Hospital. Therefore, you should search it by state, district, or specialty.
Step 3: Visit the hospital
After finding the hospital, you must show your Ayushman card and ID proof, and the hospital will check your eligibility.
Step 4: Verification
After that, the hospital will verify it digitally.
Step 5: Approval & Treatment
Treatment will start after your card gets approved. Meanwhile, there is no payment needed if you are covered.
Documents Required
Below are the essential documents that you might need to get treatment through this card:
- Ayushman Card
- Aadhaar Card
- Mobile number
- Ration card
Aadhaar is enough for verification in most cases.
How to Find Ayushman Hospitals
You can search the hospital using state, district, hospital name, and medical specialty. The official PMJAY website has a complete hospital directory.
You can save big with the Ayushman Card if you or your family meet the eligibility criteria.