Quick answer: Ayushman Vay Vandana is a 2024 expansion of PM-JAY that gives every Indian citizen aged 70 and above ₹5 lakh a year in free, cashless hospital cover — regardless of income or existing PM-JAY eligibility. It was announced by the Prime Minister on October 29, 2024 (Dhanteras), and issues a separate Vay Vandana Card just for the senior citizen, on top of whatever cover their family may already have under regular PM-JAY.

Key Takeaways

• Every citizen aged 70+ qualifies, with no income, BPL, or existing-insurance restriction — this is a genuinely universal senior citizen benefit.
• Coverage is ₹5 lakh per year, and it’s issued as a separate top-up, not merged into a family’s existing PM-JAY sum insured.
• Each eligible senior gets their own Vay Vandana Card, distinct from any Ayushman card the rest of the family may hold.
• Enrollment is free and can be done via the beneficiary portal or at an empanelled hospital’s Ayushman Mitra desk.

Vay Vandana vs. Regular PM-JAY

	Ayushman Vay Vandana (70+)	Regular PM-JAY
Eligibility basis	Age only (70+), no income check	SECC 2011 data / state criteria
Coverage amount	₹5 lakh/year, per senior citizen	₹5 lakh/year, per family (shared)
Card issued	Separate Vay Vandana Card	Family Ayushman card
Can you have both?	Yes — a senior in an already-covered family gets this as an additional top-up	N/A

How to Apply

1. Visit beneficiary.nha.gov.in, or go to an empanelled hospital’s Ayushman Mitra help desk.
2. Provide Aadhaar for age verification — this is the primary eligibility check for the scheme.
3. Complete e-KYC, similar to the regular Ayushman card application process.
4. Once verified, the Vay Vandana Card is issued, usable at PM-JAY empanelled hospitals nationwide.

What It Covers

The scheme covers a broad range of hospitalization needs relevant to senior citizens — including cardiac care, cancer treatment, kidney conditions, joint replacements, and neurosurgery — through the same network of over 30,000 empanelled hospitals used by regular PM-JAY. As with the base scheme, treatment package lists are periodically revised by NHA, so the exact procedures covered can be confirmed with the hospital’s PM-JAY desk or the official portal at the time of treatment.

Why This Matters

Before this scheme, an elderly person from a financially comfortable household had no route into PM-JAY, since eligibility was based on the family’s SECC/income status. Vay Vandana removes that barrier specifically for people 70 and older, treating advanced age itself as sufficient grounds for coverage — a significant shift for senior healthcare access in India.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana?

Any Indian citizen aged 70 or above, regardless of income, BPL status, or whether their family already has PM-JAY coverage.

When was Ayushman Vay Vandana launched?

It was announced by the Prime Minister on October 29, 2024 (Dhanteras).

Does Vay Vandana replace my family’s existing PM-JAY cover?

No, it’s issued as a separate ₹5 lakh top-up specifically for the senior citizen, on a distinct Vay Vandana Card, in addition to any existing family PM-JAY coverage.

How do I apply for the Vay Vandana Card?

Apply for free at beneficiary.nha.gov.in or at an empanelled hospital’s Ayushman Mitra desk, using Aadhaar for age verification and e-KYC.

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Related: How to Apply for Ayushman Card guide, PM-JAY Benefits guide, and PM-JAY Hospital List guide.

Quick answer: To check if your name is on the PM-JAY beneficiary list, visit the official beneficiary portal at beneficiary.nha.gov.in, verify your mobile number with an OTP, and search using your ration card number, mobile number, name, or RSBY URN. Being on this list means the government’s SECC 2011 data (or your state’s extended criteria) has identified your household as eligible — it’s the step before you get your actual Ayushman card.

Key Takeaways

• The beneficiary list is drawn primarily from the SECC 2011 socio-economic census, plus RSBY families in some states and state-specific extensions.
• Being listed as eligible is different from having an active Ayushman card — you still need to complete verification (KYC) to get the card itself.
• You can check your status online, via the Ayushman Bharat mobile app, or at a nearby Common Service Centre (CSC).
• Not finding your name doesn’t always mean permanent ineligibility — some states run their own extended schemes with different criteria.

How to Check the Beneficiary List Online

1. Go to the official beneficiary portal at beneficiary.nha.gov.in.
2. Enter your registered mobile number and verify with the OTP sent to it.
3. Select your state, then search using one of: ration card number, mobile number, RSBY URN, or name plus location details.
4. If a match is found, your family’s eligibility details will appear, along with the option to proceed to e-KYC if you haven’t already completed it.

Where the List Data Comes From

Source	Who it typically covers
SECC 2011 database	Households identified as deprived under the 2011 Socio-Economic Caste Census (rural and urban deprivation/occupational criteria)
RSBY (Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana)	Families already enrolled under the earlier RSBY scheme in participating states
State-specific extensions	Additional households some states have added under their own top-up health schemes

Listed as Eligible — Now What?

Appearing on the beneficiary list confirms eligibility, but it isn’t the same as holding a usable Ayushman card. You’ll still need to complete e-KYC verification — using Aadhaar-based authentication in most cases — before the card is issued and usable at a hospital. Our guide to applying for the Ayushman card walks through that verification step in detail, and our card download guide covers getting the physical or digital card once you’re verified.

Note that this beneficiary list check is different from checking an already-issued card’s status — if you’ve already applied and want to confirm whether your card itself is active, see our Ayushman Card status check guide. And if you’re looking specifically for the portal’s login and registration steps rather than the eligibility list, our beneficiary portal login guide covers that.

If Your Name Isn’t on the List

Since PM-JAY eligibility is based on the fixed SECC 2011 data (plus RSBY and state extensions), households not captured in that data generally can’t self-add themselves to the central list. That said, it’s worth checking with your local Common Service Centre or State Health Agency, since some states run parallel schemes with broader eligibility that can extend similar coverage even to households outside the central PM-JAY list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I check the official PM-JAY beneficiary list?

At the official beneficiary portal, beneficiary.nha.gov.in, after verifying your mobile number with an OTP.

Does being on the beneficiary list mean I already have an Ayushman card?

No. It confirms your eligibility, but you still need to complete e-KYC verification before an active, usable Ayushman card is issued.

What information do I need to search the beneficiary list?

Your ration card number, mobile number, RSBY URN, or your name along with location details, depending on what’s available to you.

What if my name isn’t found on the beneficiary list?

The central list is based on SECC 2011 data and RSBY records, so households outside that data generally aren’t listed centrally, though it’s worth checking with your State Health Agency about state-specific extended schemes.

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Related: Ayushman Card Eligibility Criteria guide, How to Apply for Ayushman Card guide, How to Download Ayushman Card guide, and Ayushman Card Status Check guide.

Quick answer: Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs), now also called Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, are upgraded local health facilities that provide free primary care — checkups, screenings, medicines, and basic diagnostics — close to where you live. They’re the primary-care half of Ayushman Bharat, separate from PM-JAY, which covers hospital treatment. You don’t need a PM-JAY card to use an AB-HWC.

Key Takeaways

• Ayushman Bharat has two components: AB-HWCs for primary care, and PM-JAY for hospital insurance — they work together but are accessed differently.
• AB-HWCs are converted Sub Health Centres and Primary Health Centres, expanded to offer a much wider range of free services than before.
• Services include maternal and child health, chronic disease screening, mental health support, basic dental and eye care, and free essential medicines.
• No PM-JAY enrolment or eligibility check is required to visit an AB-HWC — it’s open primary care for the local community.

AB-HWC vs PM-JAY: How They Fit Together

	AB-HWC	PM-JAY
Type of care	Primary care (checkups, screening, minor ailments)	Secondary/tertiary care (hospitalization, surgery)
Where you go	Your local Health & Wellness Centre	An empanelled hospital
Eligibility	Open to the local community, no card needed	Requires PM-JAY eligibility and an Ayushman card
Cost	Free	Free for covered treatments, up to ₹5 lakh/year

What Services AB-HWCs Actually Offer

The government’s plan calls for around 1.5 lakh centres nationwide, built by upgrading existing Sub Centres and Primary Health Centres. Services span several areas: maternal, neonatal, and child health; reproductive health and family planning; screening and management of common non-communicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension; basic mental health support; eye, ear, nose, throat, and dental care; and emergency care and referral when a patient needs hospital-level treatment.

How AB-HWCs Connect to Hospital Referral

If an AB-HWC identifies a condition needing hospitalization, it can refer you onward into the broader health system — and if you’re PM-JAY eligible, that’s where your Ayushman card becomes relevant, at the hospital stage rather than at the wellness centre. This referral pathway is part of why Ayushman Bharat is described as covering the full continuum of care, from prevention and primary treatment through to hospital-level intervention, rather than being a single scheme.

Finding Your Nearest Centre

AB-HWCs operate at the community level, generally attached to the existing public health infrastructure in your area (Sub Centre, Primary Health Centre, or Urban PHC). Your local ASHA worker, ANM, or district health office can point you to the nearest one; some states have also begun listing centres through their health department portals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a PM-JAY card to visit an AB-HWC?

No. AB-HWCs offer free primary care to the local community without requiring PM-JAY enrolment or an Ayushman card.

What’s the difference between AB-HWC and PM-JAY?

AB-HWC provides free primary care like checkups and screenings at the community level, while PM-JAY covers hospital treatment for eligible beneficiaries. They’re the two components of Ayushman Bharat.

Are AB-HWCs the same as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs?

Yes, Ayushman Arogya Mandir is the updated name used for these Health and Wellness Centres.

Can an AB-HWC refer me to a PM-JAY hospital?

Yes, if a condition needs hospital-level care, an AB-HWC can refer you onward, and PM-JAY coverage would apply at the hospital stage if you’re an eligible beneficiary.

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Related: PM-JAY Hospital List guide, PM-JAY Hospital Empanelment guide, and National Health Authority guide.

Quick answer: The National Health Authority (NHA) is the Indian government body that runs PM-JAY (Ayushman Bharat) and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). It was reconstituted on January 2, 2019, as an attached office of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and functions with independent operational and financial powers to implement these two flagship programs nationwide.

Key Takeaways

• NHA is the apex body implementing both PM-JAY (health insurance) and ABDM (digital health infrastructure, including ABHA).
• It’s governed by a board chaired by the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, led day-to-day by a CEO of Secretary rank.
• States implement PM-JAY through their own State Health Agencies (SHAs), which work under NHA’s overall framework.
• If you’ve interacted with pmjay.gov.in, beneficiary.nha.gov.in, or the ABHA app, you’ve been dealing with an NHA-run system.

What NHA Actually Governs

Program	What it does
PM-JAY (Ayushman Bharat)	Health insurance covering hospital treatment up to ₹5 lakh/year for eligible households
Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)	Builds India’s digital health ecosystem, including ABHA health IDs and linked medical records

Where NHA Fits in the Structure

At the national level, NHA sets policy, standards, and technology for PM-JAY and ABDM. At the state level, each State Health Agency (SHA) operationalizes PM-JAY — empanelling hospitals, processing claims, and running beneficiary verification — while District Implementation Units coordinate on the ground. This is why some PM-JAY processes (like specific hospital empanelment rules) can vary slightly by state even though NHA sets the overall framework; see our hospital empanelment guide for how that plays out for hospitals.

NHA’s History in Brief

Before becoming NHA, the same functions were carried out by the National Health Agency starting in May 2018, around the launch of PM-JAY itself. It was reconstituted with an expanded mandate and new name — National Health Authority — in January 2019, giving it a broader role that eventually grew to include ABDM once that mission launched.

Why This Matters If You’re a Beneficiary

You won’t typically deal with NHA directly — your day-to-day touchpoints are your State Health Agency, the beneficiary portal, or an empanelled hospital’s PM-JAY desk. But knowing NHA sits behind all of it explains why PM-JAY and ABDM/ABHA increasingly share infrastructure, and why national announcements about scheme changes usually originate from NHA press releases rather than from any single state.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is NHA the same as the Ministry of Health?

No. NHA is an attached office under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, with its own operational independence, but it isn’t the ministry itself.

Does NHA run ABHA and PM-JAY under one system?

NHA governs both PM-JAY and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (which includes ABHA), and has been working to link them within one digital health ecosystem, though they remain functionally separate programs.

Who actually processes my PM-JAY claim, NHA or my state?

Your State Health Agency (SHA) handles day-to-day processing like hospital empanelment and claims, operating within the framework NHA sets nationally.

When was NHA established?

NHA was reconstituted on January 2, 2019, succeeding the National Health Agency that had operated since PM-JAY’s launch in May 2018.

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Related: PM-JAY Hospital Empanelment guide, ABHA Card vs Ayushman Card guide, and PMJAY Beneficiary List guide.

Quick answer: These are four completely different government schemes that only sound alike. PM-JAY (Ayushman Bharat) is free hospital health insurance. PMJJBY is a ₹436/year life insurance policy. PMSBY is a ₹20/year accident insurance policy. PMFBY is crop insurance for farmers. If you searched for one and landed here, use the table below to find the scheme you actually meant.

Key Takeaways

• PM-JAY is a free health insurance scheme for eligible low-income households — there’s no premium to pay.
• PMJJBY and PMSBY are low-cost life and accident insurance policies anyone with a bank account can buy.
• PMFBY is agricultural crop insurance for farmers, entirely unrelated to health coverage.
• The similar “PM_JAY/PMJ” naming is a common source of confusion in search — they are run by different ministries.

The Four Schemes at a Glance

Scheme	What it covers	Cost	Who it’s for
PM-JAY (Ayushman Bharat)	Hospital treatment up to ₹5 lakh/year	Free for eligible households	Low-income households meeting SECC/state criteria
PMJJBY	₹2 lakh life cover, death from any cause	₹436/year	Bank/post office account holders, age 18–50
PMSBY	₹2 lakh accidental death/disability cover	₹20/year	Bank/post office account holders, age 18–70
PMFBY	Crop loss due to weather, pests, disasters	2% (kharif) / 1.5% (rabi) / 5% (commercial crops) of sum insured	Farmers with notified crops in notified areas

PM-JAY (Ayushman Bharat) — Health Insurance

PM-JAY is run by the National Health Authority and pays for secondary and tertiary hospital care for eligible households, entirely free of cost. It has no premium — you either qualify based on the SECC 2011 database or your state’s extended criteria, or you don’t. See our eligibility criteria guide for the full breakdown.

PMJJBY — Life Insurance

Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana is a renewable one-year term life insurance policy. For an annual premium of ₹436, auto-debited from a linked bank or post-office account, it pays ₹2 lakh to your nominee if you die from any cause during the coverage year. It has no maturity or survival benefit.

PMSBY — Accident Insurance

Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana is an even cheaper accident cover, at ₹20/year, open to account holders aged 18 to 70. It pays ₹2 lakh for accidental death or total permanent disability (such as loss of both eyes or both hands), and ₹1 lakh for certain partial disabilities.

PMFBY — Crop Insurance

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana protects farmers against crop loss from weather, pests, and natural disasters. Farmers pay a capped premium — a maximum of 2% of the sum insured for kharif crops, 1.5% for rabi crops, and 5% for commercial or horticultural crops — with the government subsidizing the rest. It is now voluntary for all farmers, including those with crop loans.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is PMJJBY or PMSBY the same as PM-JAY?

No. PM-JAY is free hospital health insurance for eligible households. PMJJBY and PMSBY are paid life and accident insurance policies open to any bank account holder — they are unrelated schemes.

Can I have PM-JAY and PMJJBY/PMSBY at the same time?

Yes. These schemes are independent of each other, and there’s no restriction on holding PM-JAY coverage alongside PMJJBY, PMSBY, or PMFBY.

Is PMFBY related to health insurance at all?

No, PMFBY is agricultural crop insurance for farmers and has no connection to PM-JAY or personal health coverage.

Why do these scheme names get confused so often?

The similar “PM_JAY” and “PM__BY” naming pattern, all being flagship government schemes, makes them easy to mix up in search, even though they’re run by different ministries for different purposes.

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Related: Ayushman Card Eligibility Criteria guide, PM-JAY Beneficiary List guide, and National Health Authority guide.

Quick answer: An ABHA card is a voluntary 14-digit digital health ID that stores and links your medical records across India’s digital health ecosystem (ABDM). An Ayushman card is your proof of enrolment under PM-JAY, the government health insurance scheme that pays for hospital treatment up to ₹5 lakh a year. They come from the same government digital-health push but do completely different jobs — one is an ID, the other is insurance.

Key Takeaways

• ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) is a digital health ID number; it does not by itself pay for any treatment.
• The Ayushman card is your PM-JAY membership card, used to get cashless hospital treatment at empanelled hospitals.
• Creating an ABHA number is voluntary and open to anyone; getting an Ayushman card requires meeting PM-JAY’s eligibility criteria.
• You can hold one, both, or neither — they are not dependent on each other, though NHA has been working to link them under one digital ecosystem.

ABHA vs Ayushman Card: Side-by-Side

	ABHA Card	Ayushman Card
What it is	A 14-digit digital health ID number	Proof of PM-JAY insurance enrolment
Run by	Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)	PM-JAY, under the National Health Authority
Who can get one	Any resident, voluntarily, no eligibility check	Only households meeting SECC/state eligibility criteria
What it does	Links and stores your health records digitally; can be shared with doctors	Gets you cashless treatment up to ₹5 lakh/year at empanelled hospitals
Cost to you	Free	Free

What ABHA Actually Does

An ABHA number and its linked ABHA address (a username like yourname@abdm) exist so your health records — prescriptions, lab reports, discharge summaries — can be stored digitally and shared with a doctor or hospital when you consent, instead of carrying paper files between visits. Creating one is entirely optional; it does not enroll you in any insurance scheme and does not, by itself, cover the cost of treatment anywhere.

What the Ayushman Card Actually Does

The Ayushman card is the document (physical or digital) that proves you’re a PM-JAY beneficiary. It’s what you present at an empanelled hospital’s PM-JAY desk to get treatment covered directly by the scheme, without paying out of pocket for eligible packages. Unlike ABHA, not everyone can get one — eligibility is based on the SECC 2011 database or your state’s specific criteria, which our Ayushman card eligibility guide covers in detail.

Do You Need Both?

They’re not a package deal, but NHA’s broader digital-health strategy is moving toward linking the two — for example, some hospital admission workflows now ask PM-JAY patients to also create or provide an ABHA number so their treatment records feed into the national digital health ecosystem. Practically speaking: if you want cashless hospital coverage, you need the Ayushman card and must meet PM-JAY’s eligibility rules. If you simply want a portable digital health record, ABHA is worth creating regardless of your PM-JAY status — it’s free and takes only a few minutes with an Aadhaar or mobile number.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an ABHA number the same as an Ayushman card?

No. ABHA is a voluntary digital health ID number; the Ayushman card is proof of enrolment in the PM-JAY health insurance scheme. They serve different purposes.

Does creating an ABHA number make me eligible for PM-JAY?

No. ABHA creation is open to everyone and has no eligibility check, but it does not enroll you in PM-JAY or make you eligible for its coverage.

Is ABHA mandatory to get treatment under PM-JAY?

Not universally, though some hospitals now ask PM-JAY patients to also create an ABHA number as part of India’s move toward linked digital health records.

Is there any cost to create either card?

No, both the ABHA number and the Ayushman card are free for eligible citizens.

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Related: Ayushman Card Eligibility Criteria guide, How to Apply for Ayushman Card guide, How to Download Ayushman Card guide, and PMJAY Beneficiary List guide.