How to Apply for Ayushman Bharat Card (PMJAY)

Preface: This post was originally published in 2023 and has been updated on July 29, 2025, to provide you with the most current and accurate information.

The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana was launched on 23rd September 2018 by the Government of India that aims to provide free access to health insurance coverage for low-income earners in the country.

The Ayushman Bharat Scheme (PM-JAY) is known by different names.

• Prime Minister People’s Health Scheme
• Live Long India Prime Minister's People's Health Scheme
• Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS)

To apply for the Ayushman Bharat card, first, the applicants must check their name first in the SECC 2011 list and have an RSBY card. Second, visit the official website and check your eligibility. Then, fill in the required details such as your mobile number, and Aadhaar card number, and attach your documents. Once the authority checks the application and found all information right, it will issue you Ayushman Bharat Card. As per the data, 50% of the country's population qualifies for the scheme. 

Benefits of the Ayushman Bharat Scheme

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has rolled out this scheme with an aim to cover 12 crore Indian citizens and nearly 55 crore underprivileged families without any limitation on the family size and age of members. The benefits of Ayushman cards are as follows:

• Services of PMJAY are available across the whole of India with complete treatment and healthcare facilities free of cost.
• Covers a wide range of medical and surgical packages such as neurosurgery, cardiology, etc. Similarly, it covers 25 special categories.
• The scheme covers post-hospitalization expenses also.
• In case of multiple surgeries, the highest cost will be covered by the package. For the second and third surgery, it covered 50% and 25% respectively
• It covers the treatment cost of oncology with chemotherapy for 50 different types of Cancer. However, both medical and surgical packages cannot be availed at the same time.

Eligibility Criteria for Ayshman Card

Check the name in “Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 data”. This will ensure that the family is eligible for the Ayushman Yojna or not. The people whose name is on the list of the SECC database and are active cardholders of Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana can avail the benefits of PMJAY. The eligibility criteria for Ayushman card for rural and urban people are as follows:

Eligibility Criteria for Urban Areas

• Ragpicker
• Beggar
• Domestic worker
• Street vendor/ Cobbler/hawker / other service provider working on streets
• Construction worker/ Plumber/ Mason/ Labour/ Painter/ Welder/ Security guard/ Coolie and other head-load workers
• Sweeper/ Sanitation worker/ Mali
• Home-based worker/ Artisan/ Handicrafts worker/ Tailor
• Transport worker/ Driver/ Conductor/ Helper to drivers and conductors/ Cart puller/ Rickshaw puller
• Shop worker/ Assistant/ Peon in small establishment/ Helper/Delivery Assistant / Attendant/ Waiter
• Electrician/ Mechanic/ Assembler/ Repair worker
• Washer-man/ Chowkidar

Eligibility Criteria for Rural Areas

• D1- Only one room with kucha walls and kucha roof
• D2- No adult member between ages 16 to 59
• D3- Households with no adult male member between ages 16 to 59
• D4- Disabled member and no able-bodied adult member
• D5- SC/ST households
• D7- Landless households derive a major part of their income from manual casual labor

Note: The families of rural areas must fall into one of the above six deprivation criteria. 

How to Apply for Ayushman Card?

The process of applying for an Ayushman Card is simple as it is applicable to all the people who fall under the SECC 2011 list and have an RSBY scheme card. If you want to apply for the Ayushman Bharat Card, then follow the below steps:

1. Visit the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Yojana website (https://pmjay.gov.in/).
2. Click on the “Am I Eligible” tab.
3. The page login page will appear, fill in your mobile number, and CAPTCHA code, and generate an OTP button.
4. Enter your state name, ration card, household number, and mobile number.
5. If your family is covered under the scheme, then details will be shown on the screen.

Documents Required to Apply for the Ayushman Bharat Card

The following documents are required to apply for the ayushman bharat card: 

• Identity and age proof (Aadhar Card, PAN card, Voter ID)
• Contact details (mobile, home address, and email)
• Caste certificate
• Documents for the current status of the family (joint or nuclear)
• Income certificate (income should not be more than Rs. 5 lakhs)

How to Check Ayushman Bharat Card Status?

After applying for the card, it is advisable to check the status regularly until it gets approved. To check the status of the Ayushman Bharat card, the beneficiary has to follow the below-mentioned steps:

• Visit the official website of PMY and log in.
• Enter your Aadhar Card number and CAPTCHA code.
• Click on send OTP.
• The status will appear on the screen.

How to Download Ayushman Card?

The Ayushman Bharat card will give a family identification number, so having a card is important to avail of the services. Follow the below steps to download the card:

• Visit the official website of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. (bis.pmjay.gov.in)
• Select option Aadhaar.
• Choose the scheme, and state, and enter your Aadhaar number/ Virtual ID.
• Click on the “Beneficiary has no objection to provide Aadhaar Number for fetching eKYC (Electronic Know Your Customer) Details from UIDAI database for AB-NHPM”.
• Click on generate OTP.
• Now the option to download the card will appear on the screen, download the Ayushman Bharat Card from there.

Conclusion

Ayushman Bharat is the biggest healthcare scheme that is sponsored by the Government of India. So, if you are looking to get health insurance, but have a lower income. Then PMY is the best scheme that can fulfill your health care needs. Apply for the card only through the official website to avoid misleading. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is Ayushman Bharat Yojana?

A. Ayushman Bharat Yojana (PM-JAY) is a government scheme that provides free health insurance coverage to low-income families across India.

Q2. What are the benefits of the Ayushman Bharat scheme?

A. It provides free medical treatment across India, covers hospitalization, surgeries, medicines, and even post-hospitalization expenses for up to ₹5 lakh per family per year.

Q3. How can I check if I am eligible for the Ayushman Bharat Card?

A. Visit pmjay.gov.in and click on “Am I Eligible” to check your eligibility using your mobile number and other details.

Q4. How can I apply for the Ayushman Bharat Card online?

A. Go to pmjay.gov.in, check your eligibility, and then fill in the required details with your Aadhaar number and documents.

Q8. Is there any fee for applying for the Ayushman Bharat Card?

A. No, applying for the Ayushman Bharat Card is completely free of cost.

Author: Dushyant Sharma

Hey there, I'm Dushyant Sharma. With the extensive knowledge I've gained in past 8 years, I have been creating content on various subjects such as banking, insurance, telecom, and all the important registration and licensing processes for various companies. I'm here to help everyone with my expertise in these areas through my articles.