Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY: 5 lakh health cover, eligibility and Ayushman card

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, or PM-JAY, is the government’s free health cover for poorer families. It pays for hospital treatment of up to 5 lakh rupees per family per year, cashless, at empanelled hospitals. The official site is pmjay.gov.in.

Launched in September 2018, it now runs in all 36 states and union territories, according to the health ministry’s July 2026 reply in the Rajya Sabha. A PIB backgrounder of June 2026 counted 44.14 crore Ayushman cards, 12.03 crore hospital stays covered and 36,218 empanelled hospitals.

Who is eligible

• Families from the 2011 census data. The scheme began with 10.74 crore families picked from the Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011: deprivation criteria in villages, occupation criteria in towns. The base was later raised to 12 crore families for population growth.
• Frontline health workers. About 37 lakh families of ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers and helpers were added in March 2024.
• Everyone aged 70 and above. Since 29 October 2024, under the Ayushman Vay Vandana card, whatever their income.
• State additions. Many states have merged their own health schemes, so they cover more people than the central list.

There is no premium to pay and no way to buy in: eligibility comes from these lists.

The 70+ Vay Vandana card

Seniors aged 70 and above get up to 5 lakh rupees a year, shared within the family among seniors who qualify this way. If the family is already a PM-JAY family, the senior gets an extra top-up of up to 5 lakh rupees for themselves.

An illustration. A PM-JAY family of five includes a 72-year-old grandfather. The family shares its 5 lakh rupees a year. The grandfather also has his own top-up of up to 5 lakh rupees, so the household can draw up to 10 lakh rupees in a year in total.

Seniors with private insurance or ESI can still use it. Those on CGHS, ECHS or Ayushman CAPF must pick one scheme.

How to get the Ayushman card

Check and register on the Ayushman app or at beneficiary.nha.gov.in, or at any empanelled hospital. The helpline is 14555. The app, available in 19 languages, also shows your remaining balance and lists empanelled hospitals. At the hospital, a Pradhan Mantri Arogya Mitra helps with checking and admission.

What is covered

PM-JAY covers secondary and tertiary hospital care, with a cashless claim at the hospital. It includes:

• consultation, treatment, medicines and consumables
• tests up to 3 days before admission, and up to 15 days of care and medicines after discharge
• ICU and non-ICU care, implants, food and a bed
• complications of the treatment

The 2024 PIB backgrounder lists 1,949 procedures across 27 specialities. Pre-existing illnesses are covered from day one, with no waiting period. Cover works across states, so a migrant worker can use it away from home.

Did you know? By 30 June 2026, PM-JAY had authorised 29.05 lakh hospital admissions worth more than 8,383.97 crore rupees for people treated outside their home state, under its national portability feature.

The takeaway. If your family is on the list, or anyone in it is 70 or older, get the Ayushman card made before you need it. If you are not eligible, you need your own health insurance; start with the health insurance guide. For death and accident cover, see PMJJBY and PMSBY.

More to read: cashless vs reimbursement claims, how much health cover you need, and Jan Dhan account benefits.