Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY) - Health insurance enrollment and access to healthcare benefits

Digital ID is used to authenticate beneficiaries during enrollment in the health insurance program and to verify identity when they access cashless medical treatment at empaneled hospitals.

The National Health Authority (NHA) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) in September 2018. PM-JAY provides annual health coverage of up to INR 0.5 million (approximately USD 6,000) per family for secondary and tertiary hospitalization to the bottom 40% of India’s population. Aadhaar is used to authenticate beneficiaries when Ayushman cards are created, which serve as the primary health insurance identity document.

Beneficiaries are encouraged to link their Ayushman cards with Aadhaar to ensure seamless identity verification and streamline the process of availing cashless medical services at more than 27,000 empaneled public and private hospitals across India. As of March 2025, more than 369 million Ayushman cards have been created under the scheme. During hospital visits, beneficiaries present their Ayushman card and undergo Aadhaar-based authentication to verify eligibility before they receive treatment.