Ayushman Card 2026: eligibility, how to apply, hospital list and status check

Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY gives an eligible family free, cashless hospital treatment of up to ₹5 lakh every year, with no limit on family size or age. Since 29 October 2024, every citizen aged 70 or above can also get this cover through the Ayushman Vay Vandana card, whatever the income. This guide explains who qualifies, what the card covers, how to get it, how to find a hospital and where to complain. Use only the official websites beneficiary.nha.gov.in and nha.gov.in and never pay an agent for the card.

What is Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY and who runs it?

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) was launched on 23 September 2018. It is a government-funded health assurance scheme that pays for hospital treatment so that poor and vulnerable families do not have to.

The National Health Authority (NHA), under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, runs it at the national level. State Health Agencies run it in each State or UT, and District Implementation Units help on the ground.

The scheme is cashless and paperless, and the benefit is portable: you can use an empanelled hospital in any State. It is entitlement based, so eligible people can go straight to an empanelled hospital, and the Ayushman card is issued to make this easier. It is now implemented in 36 States and UTs; West Bengal signed on 8 June 2026 as the 36th.

What does the Ayushman card cover?

Item	Detail
Cover	Up to ₹5 lakh per family per year
Type of care	Secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation
Procedures	1,961 procedures across 27 specialties, such as General Medicine, General Surgery, Orthopaedics, Cardiology and Oncology
Pre-existing diseases	Covered from the first day, no waiting period
Family size and age	No cap on family size, age or gender

The official list of covered services includes medical examinations and consultations, pre-hospitalisation expenses, medicines and consumables, ICU and non-ICU care, diagnostic and lab tests, implants, accommodation and food, treatment of complications, and follow-up care for up to 15 days after discharge. Treatments such as dialysis, stroke care, hip and knee replacement, angioplasty and pacemaker implantation are available to eligible seniors too. The official sources describe hospital stays; they do not describe cover for outpatient (OPD) visits.

Who is eligible for the Ayushman card?

1. Families on the SECC 2011 lists. Rural families are included if they meet one of these: only one room with kucha walls and roof; no adult aged 16 to 59; a female-headed household with no adult male aged 16 to 59; a disabled member and no able-bodied adult; SC/ST households; landless households living mainly on manual casual labour. Families without shelter, destitute people living on alms, manual scavenger families, primitive tribal groups and legally released bonded labour are included automatically. In urban areas, workers such as rag pickers, domestic workers, street vendors, construction workers, sweepers, tailors, drivers, rickshaw pullers, shop helpers and electricians qualify.

2. ASHA, Anganwadi workers and helpers and their families, added in 2024.

3. All citizens aged 70 or above, irrespective of socio-economic status. Seniors whose family is already covered get an extra top-up of up to ₹5 lakh per year for themselves, which they do not share with family members below 70.

Some States have added more families from their own lists, at their own cost.

Who is not covered, and what if I already have another scheme?

• People below 70 whose family is not on the PM-JAY beneficiary lists are not entitled under the central scheme. Eligibility for them is decided from the beneficiary database, so check your name before you go to a hospital.
• Seniors aged 70+ who already use CGHS, ECHS or Ayushman CAPF must choose between that scheme and AB PM-JAY.
• Seniors aged 70+ with private health insurance, or who are ESIC members, are still eligible for AB PM-JAY.

The central scheme also allows States and UTs to run their own health protection schemes alongside it at their own cost, so a State scheme may have different rules. Ask your State Health Agency or call 14555 if you are unsure.

Which documents do I need?

The official sources read for this guide describe Aadhaar-based authentication, so keep your Aadhaar card with you. The Ayushman app supports face authentication, OTP, iris and fingerprint, so any mobile phone can be used to create a card. If you choose OTP, the code goes to the mobile number linked with Aadhaar.

For senior citizens, the NHA FAQ says Aadhaar e-KYC is mandatory and the age is taken from Aadhaar, so check that your date of birth on Aadhaar is correct.

The sources do not list any other compulsory document, such as a ration card or income certificate. Documents can differ by State, so ask the hospital help desk or call 14555 if you are asked for something else.

How do I apply for the Ayushman card, step by step?

Online (self-registration)

1. Download the Ayushman app (Google Play Store; an iOS version is also available) or open beneficiary.nha.gov.in.
2. Enter your details and complete Aadhaar-based e-KYC using face authentication, OTP, iris or fingerprint.
3. Follow the on-screen steps; senior citizens enrol for the Vay Vandana card.
4. Submit. Once verified, the card can be downloaded.
5. After the first senior citizen is enrolled, other family members aged 70+ can be added with the Add Member feature.

Offline

• Visit the nearest empanelled hospital or a Common Service Centre (CSC) with your Aadhaar and get registered there.

For seniors aged 70+, enrolment is application based. For families on the SECC lists, the scheme does not need enrolment, and cards are issued as part of beneficiary verification. The official sources do not state how many days a card takes.

How do I check eligibility, download the card and find empanelled hospitals?

The Ayushman app (Android and iOS, in 19 regional languages) lets beneficiaries verify eligibility, download e-cards, check wallet balance, locate empanelled hospitals and raise grievances. The beneficiary portal beneficiary.nha.gov.in serves the same purpose on the web.

The NHA page also lists a citizen portal, mera.pmjay.gov.in, where you can search the beneficiary database with your mobile number, and a card download page on bis.pmjay.gov.in.

Hospitals. All government hospitals with in-patient services are deemed empanelled. Private hospitals join the scheme through empanelment. A PIB note of 6 June 2026 puts the network at 36,218 hospitals, 19,659 public and 16,559 private. Because of portability, you can take treatment at an empanelled hospital in any State. Use the hospital locator in the app, or call 14555 to ask about a particular hospital before you travel.

Common problems, helplines and where to complain

Hospital refuses treatment. Under the terms of empanelment, hospitals cannot deny treatment to eligible beneficiaries. If it happens, file a grievance.

How to complain. A three-tier grievance system works at District, State and National level, each with a nodal officer and Grievance Redressal Committees. You can use the web-based CGRMS portal, the Ayushman app, the call centre 14555, e-mail, or a letter to the State Health Agency.

Helpline	Number
24x7 call centre (toll-free)	14555
Missed call for Vay Vandana card information	1800-110-770

Name not found or card problem. Call 14555 or ask the hospital help desk. Money demanded. The official sources describe treatment as cashless and mention no fee for the card, so do not pay agents; report the matter on 14555.

What has changed recently?

Date	Change
23 Sep 2018	AB PM-JAY launched
Jan 2022	Beneficiary base revised from 10.74 crore to 12 crore families
2024	ASHAs, Anganwadi workers, helpers and their families added
11 Sep 2024	Union Cabinet approves cover for all citizens aged 70+
29 Oct 2024	Ayushman Vay Vandana card launched
5 Apr 2025	Delhi becomes the 35th State/UT; Delhi adds a ₹5 lakh top-up
11 Apr 2025	Vay Vandana and co-branded cards launched in Odisha
8 Jun 2026	West Bengal becomes the 36th State/UT

As on 31 December 2025, more than 96.73 lakh Vay Vandana cards had been created, and a PIB note says 1.20 crore seniors were enrolled as on 5 June 2026. Union Budget 2025-26 also announced AB-PMJAY cover for online platform (gig) workers registered on e-Shram; the sources read do not give a sign-up procedure yet.