Ayushman Card: Under the Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY) scheme, launched by the Central Government, poor and needy families across the country are provided with free, cashless medical treatment worth up to ₹5 lakh annually. Often, people exhaust their savings when faced with hospitalisation or when they need treatment for a serious illness. In such situations, the Ayushman Card proves highly beneficial, as it grants access to free medical treatment.

However, a common question raised by many beneficiaries is, ‘What happens if the ₹5 lakh limit is exhausted within a financial year—does the free treatment stop?’ It is important to note that the ₹5 lakh coverage under the Ayushman scheme is allocated per family, not per individual family member.

Ayushman Card Eligibility Update
Through this initiative, eligible families receive annual health coverage of up to ₹5 lakh for hospitalisation and medical treatment. This service is available at both government and private hospitals that are empanelled under the scheme. Those who meet the eligibility criteria can avail themselves of these benefits.

Does treatment stop once the limit is reached?
According to the guidelines of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, a health cover of ₹5 lakh is allocated to a family each year. If the entire ₹5 lakh amount is exhausted—whether by one individual or across all family members—the facility for free treatment under the Ayushman Card ceases for the remainder of that financial year. However, this limit is not permanently lost; it is automatically renewed at the start of the new financial year.

Is assistance available after the limit is exhausted?
If the ₹5 lakh limit has been reached and a patient requires surgery, it may be possible—in certain states and for specific serious conditions such as cancer, organ transplants, or cardiac care—to obtain special permission from the District Health Department or the State Health Agency to continue receiving care. Additional government assistance may be provided following a review of the file at the level of the Chief Medical Officer.

Who is eligible for the Ayushman Card?
– Those living in makeshift (kaccha) houses.
– People who earn their livelihood through daily wage labour.
– Destitute and tribal families.
– Transgender individuals.
– Eligible families in rural areas.
– Landless families.
– Families that include a person with a disability.
– Families belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST).
– Individuals aged 70 years or older, etc.