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Apna YojanaIndia

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

आयुष्मान भारत प्रधानमंत्री जन आरोग्य योजना

PM-JAY gives eligible families health cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year for hospitalisation, cashless at empanelled hospitals. Since October 2024 every citizen aged 70 or above qualifies regardless of income, through the Ayushman Vay Vandana card.

Researched by Mirza Seraj BaigFacts last checked against official sources on 7 September 2026
What you get
Health cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation. Treatment is cashless and paperless at empanelled public and private hospitals, with no cap on family size or age. Senior citizens aged 70 and above in a family already covered receive an additional ₹5 lakh top-up for themselves.
Who it is for
Poor and vulnerable families identified through the deprivation and occupational criteria of the Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 (SECC 2011); categories that states have added at their own cost; ASHA, Anganwadi workers and helpers and their families; and all senior citizens aged 70 and above regardless of income.
Implemented by
National Health Authority, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Coverage
Central scheme — available across India
Helpline
14555 (toll-free) · 1800 110 770 (missed call — Vay Vandana card information)
Apply only on the official portal. This page explains the scheme; it does not process applications. Registration on government portals is free — do not pay anyone who offers to get you approved.

PM-JAY guides

Hospitals

Hospital list

Your Ayushman card works only at empanelled hospitals. The official search lets you filter by state, district, hospital name and speciality — and shows which hospitals are suspended.

Eligibility

Eligibility

Eligibility rests on the 2011 SECC list, state additions, and — since October 2024 — age alone for anyone 70 or above. Here is how each route works and how to check yours in two minutes.

Latest updates

  1. Ayushman Vay Vandana card launched for every citizen aged 70 and above

    The Prime Minister launched the card on Dhanvantari Jayanti. Enrolment crossed 25 lakh in under two months. Senior citizens can enrol through the Ayushman app, the beneficiary portal or an empanelled hospital, and treatment is available from the first day with no waiting period.

    Source: Enrolment for Ayushman Vay Vandana Cards reaches 25 lakh — Press Information Bureau

  2. Cabinet approves ₹5 lakh cover for all senior citizens aged 70+, regardless of income

    About 4.5 crore families with 6 crore senior citizens become eligible. Those in families already covered under PM-JAY receive an additional ₹5 lakh top-up for themselves, not shared with members below 70; all others get ₹5 lakh on a family basis.

    Source: Cabinet approves health coverage to all senior citizens aged 70 and above irrespective of income under AB PM-JAY — Press Information Bureau, 11 September 2024

Who is eligible

  • Families identified under the deprivation and occupational criteria of SECC 2011 for rural and urban areas.
  • Every senior citizen aged 70 years and above, irrespective of income — enrolled through the Ayushman Vay Vandana card since 29 October 2024.
  • ASHA workers, Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers, along with their families, brought under the scheme in March 2024.
  • Additional categories that individual states and UTs have included at their own cost — check your state list on the beneficiary portal.

Documents required

  • Aadhaar card of the family member seeking the card
  • Ration card or family identity document, to establish family membership
  • Mobile number for OTP verification
  • For the 70-plus card: Aadhaar showing age 70 or above; no income document is needed

How to apply for PM-JAY

  1. Check whether you are eligible

    Open the official beneficiary portal and search using your mobile number, Aadhaar, ration card number or name to see whether your family is on the list. If you are 70 or above you qualify regardless of the list.

    Open the official page ↗

  2. Log in as a beneficiary

    Enter your mobile number, verify the OTP and the captcha, then select your state and a search method to locate your family record.

  3. Complete e-KYC for each member

    Select the family member and complete e-KYC using Aadhaar OTP or face authentication. Upload a photo if the portal asks for one.

  4. Wait for approval and download the card

    Once the e-KYC is approved, download the Ayushman card from the same portal or the Ayushman app. You can also do the whole process free at an empanelled hospital or a Common Service Centre.

Go to the official government portal ↗

How to check your status

  1. Open the beneficiary portal

    Go to beneficiary.nha.gov.in and log in with your mobile number and OTP.

    Open the official page ↗

  2. Search for your family record

    Select your state and search by Aadhaar, ration card, mobile number or name to see each member and their card status.

  3. Download the approved card

    Members showing an approved status have a downloadable Ayushman card. Members still pending show the stage their e-KYC has reached.

Why applications get rejected, and how to fix each one

Most rejections and stuck payments come down to a handful of record mismatches. Find yours below.

Family not found on the beneficiary portal
The base list is SECC 2011, so a family that was not on it in 2011 will not appear unless the state has added it. Search by every method — Aadhaar, ration card, name, family ID — and check your state's expanded categories. Anyone aged 70 or above qualifies regardless, through the Vay Vandana route.
e-KYC stuck at pending
Approval can take a few days. If it stays pending, the usual cause is a photo that does not match Aadhaar or a name and date-of-birth mismatch. Redo e-KYC with face authentication, or visit an empanelled hospital or CSC where the operator can complete it.
Name or date of birth does not match Aadhaar
The card is generated from Aadhaar. Get the Aadhaar record corrected first, then repeat e-KYC on the portal.
Hospital says it is not empanelled
Check the empanelled hospital search before admission, and check the suspended list — a hospital can be empanelled and still suspended. Choose another empanelled hospital; the cover works at any of them across India.
Hospital asks you to pay
Treatment for covered procedures at an empanelled hospital is cashless. Ask for the Ayushman Mitra help desk, and if the hospital still demands payment call the toll-free helpline 14555 to register a grievance.

Frequently asked questions

How much health cover does Ayushman Bharat give?

PM-JAY provides health cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation at empanelled hospitals. Senior citizens aged 70 and above in a family already covered receive an additional ₹5 lakh top-up for themselves.

Who is eligible for an Ayushman card?

Families identified through the deprivation and occupational criteria of SECC 2011, categories added by individual states, ASHA and Anganwadi workers and their families, and every citizen aged 70 and above regardless of income.

Is there a fee for making an Ayushman card?

No. Eligibility checks, e-KYC and the card itself are free. You can complete the process yourself on beneficiary.nha.gov.in or the Ayushman app, or free of charge at an empanelled hospital or Common Service Centre.

Can senior citizens above 70 get PM-JAY if they are not poor?

Yes. Since 29 October 2024 every citizen aged 70 and above is eligible for ₹5 lakh cover regardless of income, through the Ayushman Vay Vandana card. There is no waiting period — treatment is available from the day of enrolment.

Is there an Ayushman Bharat helpline?

Yes. The national toll-free helpline is 14555. For information on the 70-plus Vay Vandana card you can also give a missed call on 1800 110 770.

Is there an age or family size limit under PM-JAY?

No. Within an eligible family there is no cap on family size or on the age of members covered.

Applying from your state

PM-JAY is a central scheme, so it is open in every state and union territory. Verification, and the state-issued documents you may be asked for, differ by state.

Related schemes

e-Shram

e-Shram registers unorganised workers aged 16 to 59 on a national database and issues a Universal Account Number card, which is used as a single entry point to a set of central social security schemes.

APY

Atal Pension Yojana gives subscribers a central-government-guaranteed monthly pension of ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 from the age of 60, in return for regular contributions made from the age they join until 60.