Know Everything How Can You Apply for Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana?

The Government of India launched its flagship scheme, Ayushman Bharat in 2018 with a vision to offer Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The scheme was outlined by National Health Policy 2017 with the aim to make healthcare services affordable and accessible for the underprivileged section of society. The scheme is designed to address the comprehensive health care needs of citizens. Ayushman Bharat has two key components:

• Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs)
• Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)

Both these components are interrelated. The first component ensures the ease of accessibility and the second one provides the necessary health insurance coverage. Before we understand how to apply for Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), let’s know about Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) and its key features in brief. 

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)

Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) under the Ayushman Bharat initiative is the largest health insurance scheme in the world that is mainly designed to provide secondary and tertiary care hospitalization cover to over 10.74 crores of vulnerable families in society. This is approximately 50 crore beneficiaries or almost the bottom 40% of the Indian population. The scheme aims to provide INR 5 lakhs of cover per family per year. Vulnerable and poor families included in the scheme are based on the occupational criteria and deprivation indicators of the Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 (SECC 2011). Funded by the Government of India, the cost of implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) is shared between the State and Central Governments. Let’s take a look at the key features of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).

Key Features of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)

The following are the key features of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY):

• Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) is the largest health insurance scheme in the world that is completely funded by the government.
• The scheme follows the vision of ‘ leave no one behind and covers over 10.74 crores (approximately the bottom 40% of the country’s population) of vulnerable and poor families in the society.
• Comprehensive coverage of up to INR 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization at any private or public empanelled hospitals in the scheme.
• No restrictions on gender, age, and family size.
• Cashless network hospital facility to the beneficiaries.
• Pre-hospitalization cover up to 3 days and post-hospitalisation covers up to 15 days.
• Pre-existing illness cover from day one.
• Cover for approximately 1,393 procedures.
• 9 critical illnesses are covered
• Premium is completely paid by the government.

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) is applicable for all the beneficiaries identified based on the occupational and deprivation criteria of Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 (SECC 2011). 

Procedure to apply for Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)

You can check the eligibility for the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) scheme on the National Health Authority portal and can follow the online procedure to apply for the same. Here are some of the simple procedures to follow for checking eligibility and applying for the scheme. Let’s take a look at the procedures:

• Log on to the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) page of the National Health Authority portal.
• Enter your mobile number and the captcha code from the image displayed on the page.
• Once you enter the details click on the ‘Generate OTP’ button.
• OTP (One Time Password) would be sent on your registered mobile number. Enter the OTP and then proceed.
• You will be taken to Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) login screen.
• Select your state to apply for the scheme.
• You can check your eligibility by choosing any of these criteria:
• Your Name
• Your Ration Card Number / Household ID (HHD) number 
• Provide any of these details and check your eligibility for the PM-JAY scheme.
• If you are the eligible beneficiary, your name would reflect on the right side of the page.
• Click on the ‘family members’ tab to check the beneficiaries included in the scheme.

If your name is displayed in the list, you can easily download the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) card online through the below steps:

The Process to Download Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) Card

• Log on to Download Ayushman Card | Beneficiary Identification System (pmjay.gov.in)
• Select scheme name
• Select your state 
• Provide your Aadhar number for the eKYC
• Click on the ‘Generate OTP’ tab and enter the OTP received on your registered mobile number. 
• Once you verify with the OTP, you can print the Ayushman Bharat e-card.

If your name is displayed in the list, you are automatically eligible for the benefits under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). 

For beneficiary identification, you can visit the nearest common service centres (CSC) or the empanelled hospitals with any of the following documents:

• Aadhar card
• Any government ID proof with a photograph
• Birth certificate
• Ration card
• Driver’s licence
• PAN card
• MNREGA job book
• Freedom fighter card
• Pension photo card
• Kissan photo book
• Voter ID card
• Disability card

You can also get the beneficiaries added to the PM-JAY if your family is eligible for the scheme to receive health insurance benefits.  

Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY is one of the best health insurance schemes offered to the vulnerable population of the society as there is no cost to bear to get comprehensive health insurance coverage for the family. Everyone should be aware of the procedures to register for the scheme and check the eligibility, application procedures and the details of the scheme to get the benefits available under the scheme at the right time. 

Read more -

• Cashless Treatment Under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme – Myth or Reality?
• A Short Discussion on the Major Benefits of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana