With the rising medical expenses and lifestyle related ailments, having a health insurance policy has become a necessity in today’s time. Having a health insurance policy protects you against heavy medical bills as it pays for all the hospitalization expenses incurred. Despite the many benefits of health insurance, people from lower economic groups and rural areas are not covered under this type of insurance owing to financial constraints.
As per National Survey on social consumption, conducted between July 2017- June 2018, only 10% of poorest one-fifth of the Indians in rural (10.2%)and 9.8% of urban population had any form of government or private health insurance cover.
In the year 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of Ayushman Bharat Yojana, which is now also known as Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Bima Yojana. Read below in detail to know everything about this health scheme and how you can apply for Ayushman Bharat Golden Card.
Ayushman Bharat or Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Bima Yojana is a health insurance scheme for the economically weaker section of the society. The scheme provides financial protection to the insured individual by covering the cost of hospitalization in case of medical emergency ; it is specifically designed to cover vulnerable, poor and economically weaker sections of the society.
This yojana was launched by the Prime Minister as a part of the National Health Policy 2017 with the objective of providing universal health coverage to all. The scheme aims to provide swasthya suraksha i.e. financial protection to 10.74 crore poor, deprived rural families and the identified occupational categories. The scheme offers 5 lakh sum insured to one family.
The scheme provides coverage for 1400 medical procedures like skull surgery, OT expenses, knee replacement surgery, etc. and makes secondary and tertiary healthcare cashless for the underprivileged section of the society.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Bima Yojana offers the below coverage:
Below is a list of critical illnesses that are covered under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana
The benefits of this government health scheme can be only availed by those individuals whose name appears in Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011. Active Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) are also eligible to avail coverage under this scheme.
Registering for PMAY scheme can be done online by following the below steps:
The beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Bima Yojana get an e-card that can be used to avail cashless treatment at both public or private hospitals. As per 2019 data, over ten crore e-cards have been issued and 18, 059 hospitals are a part of the network hospital list under the scheme, 4, 406, 461 beneficiaries were admitted.
To avail this insurance scheme benefit and get the Ayushman Bharat card, one has to complete identity verification process at a nearby PMJAY kiosk using documents like Aadhar card or ration card. RSBY card can also be used. On successful verification, the patient e-card is printed with the Ayushman Bharat ID which can be used in the future.
Coverage under Ayushman Bharat Yojana card is provided to every beneficiary household; it consists of a dedicated family identification number using which one can avail the coverage under the scheme.
Ayushman Bharat card is an e-card that acts as a proof, displaying that you are eligible to receive coverage under the government health insurance scheme. The card is issued only after verification done at a PMJAY kiosk.
Yes, the PMJAY scheme does offer maternity coverage for cesarean and normal deliveries.
Pre-existing medical conditions are covered under the PMJAY scheme from day 1
Yes, PMJAY scheme does offer coverage for diabetics from day 1
