Things to Know About the Ayushman Card
It has been 4 years since Prime Minister Narendra Modi began the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PMJAY), which is also known as the Ayushman Bharat Scheme. As per the National Health Authority (NHA) website of the government, the Ayushman Bharat PMJAY is the biggest health insurance scheme in the world. It aims to provide health coverage of Rs. 5 lakh per family to over 10.74 crore poor and weak families, who constitute the bottom 40% of the Indian population.
It is tough to explain the need for health insurance as the cost of medical treatments is rising every year due to inflation. The lack of medical experts and tools is also a major reason behind this rise. The reality is that only a few people can afford the high cost of health insurance. Those with lesser incomes use every penny just trying to survive every day, so they are unable to even think of buying health insurance. The Ayushman Bharat Yojana was given to the people of India to solve this issue and aid in the better health of the masses. The scope of this scheme is very wide and extends to a huge part of the Indian public.
Below are some of the main points about the Ayushman Bharat scheme and the Ayushman Card.
What is the Ayushman Bharat Card?
The Ayushman Bharat PMJAY gives 100 million low-income families, mostly from poor and lower strata groups, health insurance coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family each year. In 2011, the Socio-Economic Caste Census counted 8.03 million poor people who lived in rural areas and 2.33 million poor people who lived in cities. These people can avail of the benefits of this scheme. It provides health benefits to even those sections of society that can’t afford even the most basic life essentials.
Ayushman Bharat Card Eligibility
Ayushman Card rural eligibility
- People from scheduled castes and tribes.
- Families without a single male member in the 16 to 59 age range.
- Those in need who are dependent on alms.
- People from ancient tribal communities.
- Family without any members between the ages of 16 and 59.
- Members of families who collect recyclables by hand.
- Families with at least one physically disabled member and/or without any able-bodied adult.
Ayushman Card urban eligibility
- People who have less than five or more acres of land.
- Rag picker
- Mechanics, electricians, and other repair personnel
- People who do not live in sturdy or ‘pucca’ homes.
- House helps
- Individuals who own mechanized farming equipment.
- People working for a government-run non-agricultural business.
- Artisans and tailor workers
- Street vendors like peddlers, cobblers, and other service providers
- Workers such as masons, plumbers, porters, painters, and welders
- Those who have Kisan cards with credit limits of at least Rs 50,000.
Those who are not eligible to apply for an Ayushman Card
- A person who owns 2-, 3- or 4-wheeler vehicles.
- A person who owns a motorboat used for fishing.
- A person who has a government job.
- A person who owns both a fridge and a landline phone.
- A person who owns more than 5 acres of land.
- A person who lives in a ‘pucca’ house.
- A person who has a regular monthly income of more than Rs. 10,000.
How to Apply for an Ayushman Card
If you want to get the benefits of this scheme, you have to apply on the Ayushman Bharat website. Before you apply for an Ayushman Card, you must check and confirm that you are eligible to apply. If it is found that you do not meet the criteria for eligibility, your application will be rejected in no time.
Thus, it is better to see the steps listed below to check whether you are eligible to apply for an Ayushman Card.
- Click the ‘Am I Eligible’ link on the official PMJAY website at https://www.pmjay.gov.in/.
- Enter your mobile number.
- Type the captcha code.
- Select ‘Generate OTP’ from the tabs.
- By entering your name, HDD number, mobile phone number, or ration card number, you may search in the state where you now reside.
- The search will assist you in checking if you can apply for the PMJAY scheme.
Apply right now to avail of all the benefits of the scheme.
The Bottom Line
Ayushman Bharat aims to give poor people easy access to health coverage. It has made medical services easy to access and afford for most of the public. But the scope of this scheme is yet to cover a major part of Indian middle-class families. The ‘deficient above poverty-line class’ is also referred to as a community that does not need help as it is not poor or helpless but still not rich enough to avail of all sorts of medical treatment. It is something that NITI Aayog is striving to address and find a solution to. To read more such articles and know more about easy financial solutions, do visit the Piramal Finance website.