Older than 70 years? How to apply for an Ayushman Bharat card

Scheme offers extensive secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation benefits totaling up to Rs 5 lakh per family on an annual basis

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The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), the central government's flagship health insurance scheme, was recently expanded to include citizens older than 70

The government has clarified that all senior citizens aged 70 and above, who belong to families already covered under AB PM-JAY, will be eligible for an additional annual top-up cover of Rs 5 lakh. Families can share this coverage between their senior members.

People who avail of public health insurance schemes like the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) or Ayushman Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) have the option to either continue with their existing plans or switch to the new AB PM-JAY benefits. Senior citizens covered by private health insurance policies or the Employees’ State Insurance Scheme will also qualify for this extended coverage.

What is the benefit covered under PMJAY?

Ayushman Bharat provides comprehensive health coverage of up to Rs 5,00,000 per eligible family per year. The scheme covers a wide range of medical expenses for secondary and tertiary care treatments. Here's what the coverage includes:

All costs related to diagnosis, doctor consultation, and treatment are covered.

Coverage for up to three days prior to admission, including medications and diagnostic tests.

All required medicines and consumables during the treatment are included.

Both regular and specialised intensive care (like ICU) are covered.

Any necessary diagnostic tests or lab investigations are covered.

If implants (e.g., stents, pacemakers) are required as part of the treatment, their cost is covered.

The scheme covers the cost of hospital stay, whether in general wards or special units like ICUs.

Meals provided during the hospital stay are also included.

Any complications that arise during the treatment period are covered under the scheme.

Follow-up care for up to 15 days after discharge is covered, ensuring continuity in treatment.

How to look for eligible hospitals under Ayushman Bharat scheme in your state

You can filter hospitals by specialty or treatment requirements, especially those listed under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, which provides cashless treatment to eligible beneficiaries.

Steps to find hospitals under Ayushman Bharat:

Visit the official Ayushman Bharat website: [pmjay.gov.in](https://pmjay.gov.in).

Navigate to ‘find hospital’ option in the top menu.

Select your state and district from the drop-down menus.

Choose the type of hospital (government or private) you are searching for.

Filter by specialty if necessary.

Enter the captcha code displayed on the screen.

Click ‘submit’ to access the list of hospitals registered under the scheme in your area.

Steps to apply for Ayushman Bharat card:

Register yourself

Open https://ayushmanup.in/ or https://setu.pmjay.gov.in/setu/.

Scroll down and click on the ‘Register Yourself on SETU’ under quick links.

NHA SETU portal

The link will take you to the National Health Authority’s (NHA) SETU portal.

Fill registration Form

Click on the ‘register’ button.

Fill in all mandatory fields in the registration form and submit.

KYC verification

After submitting the registration form, complete the KYC process.

Wait for approval by the competent authority.

Download Ayushman card

Once the card is approved, visit the same portal and click on ‘download Ayushman card’.

Select your state, enter your Aadhar card number, verify via OTP, and click on the download button.