Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY)

Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) is the world's largest government-funded health insurance programme. It provides health cover of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year to over 55 crore beneficiaries — covering secondary and tertiary hospitalisation at both government and empanelled private hospitals across India. There is no premium to be paid by the beneficiary family.

What makes PM-JAY different from earlier health schemes is its cashless and paperless model. A beneficiary simply walks into any empanelled hospital, gets their eligibility verified through the Ayushman card or Aadhaar, and receives treatment without paying anything upfront. The insurance cover includes pre-existing conditions from day one — something most private insurance plans exclude.

One critical point: not every family in India is automatically covered. Eligibility is based on the SECC-2011 (Socio-Economic and Caste Census) database for rural families and occupational criteria for urban families. To check if your family is covered, visit pmjay.gov.in and enter your Aadhaar or ration card number. This page is reviewed by our editorial team against the NHA (National Health Authority) official portal.