What is Ayushman Bharat Yojana? (Benefits, Registration & Eligibility)

Ayushman Bharat Yojana was the flagship program launched by the Government of India in the year 2018. It aims at making healthcare services accessible and affordable for the low-income group of people. Let’s understand this scheme in a little detail.

What is Ayushman Bharat Yojana?

The Ayushman Bharat Yojana also known as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) has been recognized as the biggest healthcare scheme all around the world. It was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 23rd September 2018. It is a national health insurance scheme that is designed to offer coverage and make the best healthcare services available to Indians who are economically disadvantaged.

It aims to cover approximately 50 crore Indian citizens and provides average coverage of Rs.5 lakhs per year to all the beneficiaries. The scheme covers most of the costs incurred in the medical treatments including, the costs of medicines, diagnostics and even pre-hospitalization expenses.

The beneficiaries who come under this scheme get an e-card. This card can be used to avail cashless services at any of the empaneled hospitals around the country.

What are the benefits of Ayushman Bharat Yojana?

There are various benefits that this scheme offers. To list a few:

1. A cashless facility is available for beneficiaries.
2. It can be used by all family members, and there are no restrictions regarding age or gender.
3. It covers the cost of medical examination, diagnostic and laboratory services, consultation, medicine and medical consumables, food, and accommodation.
4. The policy covers expenses from 3 days before hospitalization and 15 days after hospitalization.
5. It covers the day-care expenses which are included within the insurance package.
6. It provides cover for the pre-existing ailments which are included under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
7. It covers transport costs of the beneficiary before and after hospitalization.
8. It includes provisions for post-treatment care.

What are the critical illnesses covered under Ayushman Bharat Yojana Scheme?

Did you know that the Ayushman Bharat Yojana covers around 1,400 procedures along with all related expenses? Here are some of the critical illnesses that are covered under PMJAY:

• Coronary Artery bypass graft
• Skull base surgery
• Anterior spine fixation
• COVID-19
• Double valve replacement
• Prostate cancer
• Carotid angioplasty with stent
• Tissue expander for disfigurement following burns
• Laryngopharyngectomy with gastric pull-up

The registration process for the scheme

Ayushman Bharat Yojana is a government scheme exclusively for the lower-income group people hence there is no specific enrollment process. The beneficiaries are selected based on the SEC 2011 and amongst the people that are a part of the RSBY plan although one can check their eligibility criteria through the following steps:

1. Visit the PMJAY government website (https://pmjay.gov.in/) and click on the icon that says “Am I Eligible”.
2. Enter your contact details and generate the OTP.
3. Select your state.
4. Now search with your name, mobile number, HHD number or ration card number.
5. The displayed results will let you know if you’re eligible for the Ayushman Bharat Yojana Scheme or not.

Things Required to apply for the Ayushman Bharat yojana

Below mentioned is the list of documents and other details that are necessary for applying for this scheme:

1. Identity proof and proof-like Aadhar card or Pan card.
2. Details like mobile number, residential address and email address.
3. Caste Certificate
4. Income Certificate
5. Documents stating your family status

How to download the Ayushman Bharat Yojana Card online?

To ensure cashless, paperless and portable transactions, the Ayushman Bharat Yojana Golden Card is issued to its beneficiaries. The card contains all the necessary details of the patient and is to be mandatorily presented in order to avail the facilities at the empaneled hospitals. By following these steps one can download the Ayushman Bharat Yojana Card:

1. Visit the PMJAY website and log in with the registered mobile number.
2. Generate the OTP by entering the “CAPTCHA CODE”.
3. Choose the HHD code.
4. Go to the Common Service Centre and provide the HHD code. They will check the code and other information.The Ayushman Mitra or the CSC representatives will complete the rest of the formalities and procedures.
5. Pay Rs.30 and get your Ayushman Bharat yojana Card.

What are the eligibility criteria for the Ayushman Bharat Yojana?

The Ayushman Bharat Yojana Eligibility is made with pre-conditions to make sure that only the ones that need and deserve get to avail the benefits, underprivileged people of the society. It has been launched to cover the bottom 40% of the economically weaker sections of the country. It automatically covers destitute and manual scavenger families, living through alms, bonded laborers, primitive tribal groups. Given below is the eligibility criteria for rural and urban population:

1. Rural population

The scheme covers people who fall under at least one of these deprivation categories:

• Families without an adult member in the 16 to 59 years age range.
• Families without a male member in the 16 to 59 years age range.
• Families without an able-bodied member
• Families with a disabled member in the household
• Houses with only one room made of Kucha walls and roof
• SC and ST
• Landless households who earn a majority of their income through manual casual labor

2. Urban Population

Urban households are classified according to occupation. The categories who are eligible for PMJAY are:

• Domestic worker
• Beggar
• Ragpicker
• Service providers on the street such as cobbler, street vendor, hawker
• Sweeper, gardener, sanitation worker
• Watchmen, Washer-men
• Artisan, tailor, handicrafts worker, home-based worker
• Plumber, construction worker, mason, laborer, welder, coolie
• Driver, conductor, transport worker, cart or rickshaw pullers, helpers to drivers or conductors
• Mechanic, electrician, repair worker, assembler
• Peon in small establishment, assistant, helper, waiter, shop workers, attendant, delivery assistant

Who is not eligible for the Ayushman Bharat Yojana?

People are not eligible under the scheme if they:

• Have a two, three or four-wheeler or a motorized fishing boat
• Are government employees
• Have 5 acres or more of agricultural land
• Earn a monthly income above Rs. 10,000
• Own refrigerators and landlines
• Have mechanized farming equipment
• Have decent built houses
• Have a Kisan card with a credit limit of Rs. 50,000

You can register your grievances in the grievances section of the PMJAY website. Through this portal, you can also track the status of your grievances.