Ayushman Bharat Card in Punjab: How to Apply Online — Complete Guide 2026

A single hospitalisation — surgery, chemotherapy, dialysis, a cardiac procedure — can cost anywhere from ₹50,000 to several lakhs. For most families in Punjab, that kind of expense means taking loans, selling assets, or simply not getting the treatment at all. The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) was designed to change that — and in Punjab, 689 government and private hospitals are empanelled to provide cashless treatment up to ₹5 lakh per family per year.

If your family is eligible and doesn't have the card yet, this guide explains exactly how to check, apply, and download it — all free of charge.

What Is Ayushman Bharat PMJAY?

Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY is the central government's flagship health insurance scheme run by the National Health Authority (NHA). It provides ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation — completely free, with cashless treatment at any empanelled hospital and no upfront payment or reimbursement forms. It covers 1,949 medical procedures — surgeries, chemotherapy, dialysis, cardiac treatment, orthopaedics, cancer care, neonatal care, mental health, and more — with pre-existing conditions covered from day one, unlike private insurance. The card is portable across India — use it at any empanelled hospital in any state.

As of 2026, over 8 crore hospitalisation cases have been covered nationally under the scheme. Punjab has 689 empanelled hospitals — both government and private — across all 22 districts.

Big Update — Senior Citizens 70+ Now Covered (October 2024)

This is the most important update to the scheme in recent years: since 29 October 2024, all Indian citizens aged 70 years and above are eligible for Ayushman Bharat — regardless of income, SECC listing, or existing insurance.

Senior citizens get an additional ₹5 lakh top-up cover under the Ayushman Vay Vandana scheme on top of any existing family cover. If you have a parent or grandparent aged 70 or above who doesn't have the card yet, they can apply immediately — just Aadhaar is needed.

Who Is Eligible for Ayushman Bharat in Punjab?

Eligibility for the main PMJAY scheme is based on the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 database. If your family was listed as deprived or vulnerable in SECC 2011, you are automatically eligible.

Rural Families (Any ONE of These)

• Living in a single-room house with kutcha (mud) walls and roof
• Household with no adult male member aged 16–59 years
• Female-headed household with no adult male member between 16–59
• Household with a disabled member and no other able-bodied adult
• SC/ST household — Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe families
• Landless household earning primarily from manual casual labour
• Families of manual scavengers, primitive tribal groups, or bonded labour

Urban Families (Any ONE Occupation)

Urban eligibility is based on occupation — rag-picker, beggar, domestic worker, street vendor/hawker/cobbler, construction worker/plumber/mason/painter/welder, sanitation worker/gardener/sweeper, home-based worker/artisan, transport worker (driver, conductor, helper, cart/rickshaw puller), shop worker/peon/delivery assistant, electrician/mechanic/repair worker, or washer man/chowkidar.

Universal Eligibility — 70+ Senior Citizens

All Indian citizens aged 70 years or above — regardless of income, occupation, or SECC status.

Punjab State Extension

Punjab extends coverage beyond the central PMJAY list to include blue card families, journalists, and ex-servicemen under its state health scheme. Check your eligibility at your nearest CSC or call 14555.

How to Check If Your Family Is Eligible

Online: Go to beneficiary.nha.gov.in or pmjay.gov.in, click "Am I Eligible?", enter your mobile number and captcha, verify via OTP, and search by name, Aadhaar number, ration card number, or PMJAY ID. If your family appears in the database, you are eligible.

Via Helpline: Call 14555 or 1800-111-565 (toll-free) — give your mobile number and they'll check your eligibility.

At CSC or Hospital: Visit any empanelled hospital's Ayushman Mitra desk or your nearest CSC centre — they can check eligibility on the spot.

Documents Needed for an Ayushman Card

The document requirements are minimal:

• Aadhaar card — mandatory; used for biometric eKYC during card generation
• Ration card — used for family verification and identifying dependents
• Mobile number linked to Aadhaar — for OTP during registration
• Caste certificate — for SC/ST households applying under SECC deprivation criteria; strengthens the eligibility claim
• Passport-size photograph — of the primary applicant

For senior citizens applying under Vay Vandana: only Aadhaar is required.

Need an SC/ST caste certificate? See our SC Caste Certificate guide.

Ayushman Card Fees and Charges

Completely free. Card registration, eKYC, generation, and download are all free of charge — at the portal, at the hospital Ayushman Mitra desk, or at any CSC centre. No government fee is charged for any step of the Ayushman Bharat process.

How to Apply for an Ayushman Card Online

Step 1: Go to beneficiary.nha.gov.in

Step 2: Click "Login" → select "Beneficiary" → enter your mobile number → verify via OTP

Step 3: Search for your family — enter your name, Aadhaar number, ration card number, or PMJAY ID, and select your state (Punjab) and district

Step 4: If your name appears in the list — you are eligible. Click "Ayushman Card Apply" next to your name

Step 5: Complete eKYC — verify your identity using Aadhaar OTP (if your Aadhaar is linked to your mobile number), or biometric fingerprint (at CSC or hospital if OTP is not possible)

Step 6: Your Ayushman card is generated — download the PDF immediately or anytime later by logging in again

For senior citizens (70+): On the portal, click the "AB PMJAY Vay Vandana" tab specifically and follow the same steps — only Aadhaar is needed.

How to Apply at CSC Centre or Hospital

Option 1 — CSC Centre: Visit your nearest Common Service Centre, carry Aadhaar, ration card, and mobile number, and the CSC operator checks eligibility and completes biometric eKYC. Card is generated and printed — free of charge.

Option 2 — Ayushman Mitra Desk at Hospital: Every empanelled hospital has an Ayushman Mitra — a dedicated staff member for PMJAY assistance. Visit any empanelled hospital, ask for the Ayushman Mitra, and they'll help you check eligibility and generate the card on the spot.

Find your nearest Sewa Kendra or CSC through our CSC Centre Locator.

How to Download Your Ayushman Card

Once generated, go to beneficiary.nha.gov.in, log in with your mobile number, click "Download Card", and your digitally signed Ayushman card PDF downloads — carry this or show it on your phone at the hospital. The card is also available on DigiLocker — search for "Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana" in the DigiLocker app.

How to Use the Card at a Hospital

Go to the hospital and show your Aadhaar card and Ayushman card (physical or digital). The hospital verifies your card at the Ayushman Mitra desk, and your treatment is authorised — completely cashless; the hospital bills the scheme directly. No upfront payment, no deposit, no reimbursement process.

Important: you do not need to pay anything — if a hospital asks for money for a covered procedure, call helpline 14555 immediately.

What Is Covered — Key Treatments

Ayushman Bharat covers 1,949 medical procedures across specialties, including cardiac surgery/angioplasty/bypass, cancer chemotherapy/radiation/surgery, kidney dialysis and transplant-related procedures, joint replacement and fracture surgery, cataract and retinal procedures, delivery/C-section/neonatal care, inpatient psychiatric care, and general surgery (appendix, hernia, gallbladder).

Pre-existing conditions are covered from day one — diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, and other chronic conditions are covered for hospitalisation.

Not covered: OPD (outpatient) visits, medicines bought outside hospital, dental (non-surgical), cosmetic procedures.

Finding Empanelled Hospitals in Punjab

Punjab has 689 hospitals empanelled under PMJAY — government and private. Go to hospitals.pmjay.gov.in, select Punjab as the state, select your district, and filter by medical specialty if needed. All government hospitals — District Hospitals, Civil Hospitals, Sub-Divisional Hospitals — are empanelled, along with major private hospitals in Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala, and Mohali.

What If Your Family Is Not in the SECC List?

This is a common and frustrating situation. If your family is not in the SECC 2011 database, you cannot self-add to the central PMJAY scheme. However: if anyone in your family is 70+, they are eligible under Vay Vandana regardless of SECC status; Punjab extends coverage to its own blue card holders (check at CSC); and Punjab has additional state top-up schemes for certain categories — your CSC operator or helpline 14555 can confirm. Contact your local Block Development Officer (BDO) too — in some cases, omissions from the SECC list due to data errors can be corrected through official channels.

Mistakes to Avoid When Applying for Ayushman Bharat

• Not checking eligibility before visiting hospital — always check at beneficiary.nha.gov.in first; walk-in eligibility checks at hospitals take longer
• Aadhaar not linked to mobile — if OTP eKYC fails because your Aadhaar isn't linked to your mobile, biometric eKYC at CSC is the alternative
• Not covering all family members — when generating the card, ensure all eligible family members are included; each member can use the full ₹5 lakh cover
• Using the card at non-empanelled hospitals — the card only works at PMJAY-empanelled hospitals; always check the hospital list first

Other Documents That Go With Your Ayushman Card

• Ration Card Punjab — ration card is the primary family verification document for Ayushman Bharat
• SC Caste Certificate — SC/ST households need caste certificate to support SECC eligibility claim
• Aadhaar Update / Correction — Aadhaar must be current and linked to your mobile for eKYC
• Income Certificate Punjab — sometimes needed to confirm BPL or low-income status for scheme verification

Browse all services at punjabsaathi.in/services.

Get Help With Your Ayushman Card Application

Checking SECC eligibility, completing Aadhaar-based eKYC, adding all family members, and navigating the portal's occasional technical issues are where most people get stuck with Ayushman Bharat applications. Punjab Saathi helps eligible families across all 22 districts of Punjab — from checking eligibility to generating and downloading the card.

Apply for your Ayushman Bharat Card through Punjab Saathi or WhatsApp our team at +91 7710556330. We'll check your eligibility and get your card sorted without the back and forth.

Punjab Saathi is an independent private platform providing information and assistance for accessing online government services. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the National Health Authority, the Government of India, or the Government of Punjab. Final eligibility verification and Ayushman card generation are handled entirely by the National Health Authority through the official PMJAY portal.