Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana: Benefits, Eligibility Criteria and How to Apply Online

Published on June 16, 2026 | 7 min read

Key Takeaways

Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) is a health insurance scheme launched by the Government of India to provide health coverage to families belonging to the low-income group.
Eligible families get health insurance coverage of ₹5 lakhs per year with no limitations on family size, age or gender. Senior citizens get an additional ₹5 lakh annual coverage. Expenses incurred in pre and post-hospitalisation, pre-existing diseases, and medical procedures are covered.
Senior citizens, individuals, and families belonging to financially disadvantaged and vulnerable populations are eligible to apply for Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
One can apply for the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana online or offline, depending on their preference. When applying for PM-JAY, applicants must submit their Aadhaar card, address proof, caste certificate, income certificate, and other required documents.

Medical inflation in India continues to rise at an alarming rate. Leading market reports, including Aon's Global Medical Trend Rates Report, estimate India's medical inflation rate to be between 11% and 13%.

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The growing medical inflation is a serious concern for the average Indian family, especially those belonging to vulnerable and financially disadvantaged sections of society. To ensure that underprivileged families can afford and gain access to the medical treatments they need, the Government of India introduced Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).

What is the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana?

Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) is a government-sponsored health scheme launched in 2018 under the Ayushman Bharat initiative. It aims to provide health coverage to senior citizens and families belonging to low-income groups. The scheme is implemented by the National Health Authority (NHA) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) provides health coverage of ₹5 lakhs per year to poor and vulnerable families for secondary and tertiary healthcare services.

Benefits Offered Under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana

The following are the benefits offered under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).

Annual Hospitalisation Coverage

Eligible families receive cashless health insurance coverage of ₹5 lakhs in a financial year. There is no limit on the number of family members, age, or gender. The scheme covers all pre-existing diseases, and no waiting period applies.

Comprehensive Treatment Costs

The PM-JAY scheme covers expenses incurred for doctor consultations, medicines, diagnostics, surgery, ICU, food implants and accommodation.

Pre and Post-Hospitalisation

Eligible families receive coverage for medical expenses incurred for 3 days before hospitalisation and 15 days after hospitalisation. These PM-JAY benefits can be availed at any empanelled hospital across the country.

Treatment Complication Coverage

The scheme covers approximately 1,929 medical procedures, along with any complications that may arise during the course of treatment.

Who Can Apply for Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana?

The following people are eligible to apply for PM-JAY.

Senior Citizens

Senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their financial status, are eligible for PM-JAY. If the senior citizen’s family is already a beneficiary of the scheme, an additional ₹5 lakh coverage is provided exclusively for them.

Senior citizens who are already covered by private health insurance policies or the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) scheme can also apply for PMJAY.

Financially Disadvantaged Families

The scheme is primarily designed to provide free healthcare to financially weaker sections of society. The eligibility criteria differ for rural beneficiaries and urban beneficiaries and are determined based on specific socio-economic indicators prescribed by the government.

Rural Beneficiaries

Households without shelter, individuals living on alms, legally released bonded labourers, primitive tribal groups, and manual scavenger families are automatically eligible for PM-JAY. Additionally, families in rural areas can apply if they meet at least one of the following criteria:

Families living in one room with kucha walls and kucha roof
Households with no adult member between the ages of 16 and 59
Families with no adult male member between the ages of 16 and 59
Families with a disabled member and no able-bodied adult member
Families belonging to SC, ST
Landless households earn the majority of their income from manual labour.

Urban Beneficiaries

For urban populations, the following occupational categories of workers are eligible for the PM-JAY.

Ragpicker.
Beggar.
Domestic worker.
Individuals working on the streets without a proper shop or store.
Construction worker, plumber, Mason, Labourer, Painter, Welder, Security guard, coolie and other manual workers.
Sweeper, sanitation worker, and gardener
Home-based worker, artisan, handicrafts worker, and tailor
Transport worker, driver, conductor, helper to drivers and conductors, cart puller, and rickshaw puller
Shop worker, assistant, peon in a small establishment, helper, delivery partner, attendant, and waiter.
Electrician, mechanic, assembler, and repair worker.
Washer-man and watchman.

Who Cannot Apply for Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana?

The following individuals are not eligible to apply to Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana who

An individual owning a two, three, or four-wheeler or a motorised fishing boat.
Those owning mechanized farming equipment.
Those with Kisan cards with a credit limit of ₹50,000.
Individuals employed by the government.
Individuals working in government-managed non-agricultural enterprises.
Households earning a monthly income above ₹10,000.
Households owning refrigerators and landlines.
Households with decent, solidly built houses.
Households owning 5 acres or more of agricultural land.

How to Apply for Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana Online?

One can apply for Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana online or offline. Follow the steps below to apply for the PM-JAY online.

Step 1: Visit the UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) official website and click on ‘Login/Register’ on the top right of the homepage.

Step 2: Log in using your credentials if you already have an account, or click on ‘Register Here’. The Mobile verification page will appear. Enter the mobile number, verify it using the OTP received on SMS and create an MPIN. Once the registration process is complete, applicants will be taken back to the home page. Log in using the mobile number and MPIN.

Step 3: On the tabs on the page, click on ‘Schemes’ and type in ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana’ in the search bar and click ‘Enter’. Click on the scheme, and its online application form will be displayed.

Step 4: Fill in all the mandatory fields in the application form and attach all the documents required as per the format and size specified.

Step 5: Review the application and make changes if required. Click on ‘Submit’ or ‘Apply’ to submit the application. On successful submission, applicants will receive a confirmation message on their registered mobile number.

Documents Required to Apply for Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana?

You need to attach the following documents along with the application form for PM-JAY.

Age & Identity Proof, such as Aadhaar Card or PAN Card.
Address Proof.
Contact details such as mobile number and e-mail ID.
Caste Certificate.
Income Certificate.
Document Proof of the Current Status of the Family, either Joint or Nuclear.
Aadhaar Card.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) is a government-introduced health insurance scheme designed to offer free and cashless health coverage of ₹5 lakh to senior citizens aged 70 years and above and to families belonging to low-income groups in rural and urban areas. Applicants can opt to apply for PM-JAY online or offline based on their preference; however, the online application is more convenient.

FAQs

What is Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)?

Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) is a health insurance scheme introduced by the Government of India to provide health coverage to families belonging to the low-income group.

Do beneficiaries have to pay a premium for Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)?

No, beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) do not have to pay any premium or amount for the benefits provided by the scheme.

Are pre-existing diseases covered by PM-JAY?

Yes, all pre-existing diseases are covered by PM-JAY.

Are the beneficiaries of Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) covered under PM-JAY?

Yes, the beneficiaries of Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) are covered under PM-JAY.

What are the documents required to apply for Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)?

Documents such as age and identity proof, address proof, contact details, caste certificate, income certificate, document proof of the current status of the family, either joint or nuclear and an Aadhaar card.

About Author

Mariyam Sara

Sub-Editor

holds an MBA in Finance and is a true Finance Fanatic. She writes extensively on all things finance whether it’s stock trading, personal finance, or insurance, chances are she’s covered it. When she’s not writing, she’s busy pursuing NISM certifications, experimenting with new baking recipes.