- India has two layers of free hospital care. The central government's Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY pays up to ₹5 lakh per family a year for the poorest 40% of families and, in most states, for everyone aged 70 and over[1]. States add their own schemes on top, often with more families and higher limits.
- Telangana's Rajiv Aarogyasri pays up to ₹10 lakh per family a year for families with a white ration card[2]. Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have announced or approved cover of up to ₹25 lakh[3][4][5].
- Treatment is cashless at listed (empanelled) hospitals: the patient shows the card, a help-desk worker registers them, and the hospital gets approval from the scheme before treating.
- These schemes pay for hospital stays, not for routine clinic visits or most medicines, which is where families spend most of their own money.
- For cancer, the Health Minister's Cancer Patient Fund gives poor patients up to ₹15 lakh, once, at government cancer centres[6].
Two Layers: The Centre and the State
PM-JAY is paid for jointly by the Centre and the states. Most states run it together with their own scheme under one card: the central scheme covers the families on its list, and the state pays for more families or a higher limit. A PM-JAY card works at listed hospitals in any state[1].
Since September 2024, Indians aged 70 or over can get PM-JAY cover of ₹5 lakh a year, whatever their income, through the Ayushman Vay Vandana card. If their family is already covered, they get an extra ₹5 lakh of their own[1]. 1.14 crore of these cards had been issued by February 2026[7]. It depends on the state taking part: Kerala had not rolled it out as of October 2025[9], and Karnataka said in January 2025 that its own scheme already covers older people[10].
How the Central Government Helps
| Help | What it gives | Who can use it |
|---|---|---|
| Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY | Cashless hospital treatment up to ₹5 lakh per family a year[1] | Families on the 2011 socio-economic census list (the poorest 40%), plus groups added since, such as ASHA and Anganwadi workers' families[8] |
| Ayushman Vay Vandana | ₹5 lakh a year of hospital cover for each older person's family[1] | Everyone aged 70 and over, whatever their income, in states that have rolled it out[9] |
| Ayushman Arogya Mandirs | Local health centres for check-ups, common illnesses and long-term conditions; 1.78 lakh open[11] | Everyone |
| Health Minister's Cancer Patient Fund | One-time help of up to ₹15 lakh for cancer treatment at government cancer centres[6] | Cancer patients below the poverty line |
| Ni-kshay Poshan | ₹1,000 a month for food during TB treatment, raised from ₹500 in 2024[12] | Every person being treated for TB |
| Jan Aushadhi stores | Generic medicines at low, fixed prices[13] | Everyone |
| CGHS and ESIC | Health schemes for central government employees and pensioners (CGHS) and for workers covered by the Employees' State Insurance (ESIC) | Members and their families |
What Each State Adds
Ten large states, with what each has announced. Limits are per family per year unless stated. Schemes change often; check with the state's health trust before relying on a figure.
| State | Scheme | Cover | Who, and what is new |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telangana | Rajiv Aarogyasri, with PM-JAY | ₹10 lakh | White ration card families, 90.1 lakh of them; limit doubled from ₹5 lakh in December 2023[2]. 163 treatments added to 1,672 in July 2024[14] |
| Andhra Pradesh | Dr NTR Vaidya Seva, with PM-JAY | up to ₹25 lakh | Approved September 2025: an insurer pays up to ₹2.5 lakh, the state trust pays above that; over 5 crore people expected to benefit[5] |
| Tamil Nadu | CMCHIS, with PM-JAY | ₹5 lakh, rising to ₹25 lakh | Announced August 2026: cover to ₹25 lakh and the family income limit from ₹1.2 lakh to ₹2.5 lakh[4] |
| Karnataka | Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka | ₹5 lakh (BPL), ₹1.5 lakh (APL) | Below-poverty-line card holders get the full cover; others a smaller one, as set out at launch[15] |
| Kerala | Karunya Arogya Suraksha, with PM-JAY | ₹5 lakh; ₹25 lakh planned | About 42 lakh families covered[16]. A ₹25 lakh scheme for every family is being designed; a project report was commissioned in September 2026[17] |
| Maharashtra | Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana, with PM-JAY | ₹5 lakh | Raised from ₹1.5 lakh[18]; since April 2026 the state also pays for listed major operations costing more, such as transplants[19] |
| Rajasthan | Mukhyamantri Ayushman Arogya (MAA) | up to ₹25 lakh | 2,179 treatment packages; card holders can be treated at about 31,000 hospitals across India[3] |
| Delhi | PM-JAY with a Delhi top-up | ₹10 lakh | Joined PM-JAY in April 2025; ₹5 lakh from the Centre and ₹5 lakh from Delhi for over 6.5 lakh families[20] |
| Odisha | Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana, with PM-JAY | ₹5 lakh, ₹10 lakh for women | Joined PM-JAY in January 2025; about 1.03 crore families[21] |
| West Bengal | PM-JAY, replacing Swasthya Sathi | ₹5 lakh | Joined in June 2026; about 1.43 crore families, and treatment now works in other states too[8] |
Aarogyasri, Step by Step: A Heart Bypass
Suppose a 58-year-old man in Telangana has chest pain, and an angiogram shows blocked heart arteries. The cardiologist advises a bypass operation (coronary artery bypass grafting). Under Aarogyasri, this is how the family gets it done without paying the hospital:
- 1
Check the family is covered. Aarogyasri covers Telangana families with a white ration card. Keep the ration card and Aadhaar ready[22]. If the family is not covered by Aarogyasri, check whether it is on the PM-JAY list or, if anyone is 70 or older, whether they can get the Vay Vandana card.
- 2
Go to an Aarogyasri network hospital. These are listed government and private hospitals; the list is on the Aarogyasri Trust's website. The patient can also be referred from a primary health centre, a district hospital or a health camp[22].
- 3
Meet the Aarogyamithra at the help desk. This trained helper fills in the registration form and takes the patient to the hospital's medical coordinator[22].
- 4
Pre-approval. The coordinator uploads the ration card, a photo and the reports (angiogram, ECG, blood tests) to the Aarogyasri Trust online and asks for approval of the bypass package. The operation is scheduled once it is approved[22].
- 5
Operation and hospital stay, cashless. The approved package covers the operation and the stay. The family should not be asked to pay for anything in the package; if they are, they can complain to the Trust (040-23547107)[23].
- 6
Discharge and follow-up. Keep the discharge summary and every report. Ask the Aarogyamithra which follow-up visits and medicines are included for the package, and where to collect them.
If the cost is more than the scheme pays, or the family is not covered: Telangana's Chief Minister's Relief Fund helps with treatment costs. Applications are made online with a recommendation from the local MLA or MLC; money is paid to the patient's bank account after the bills are checked[24].
Where 1Heath fits. Every step above runs on documents: the ration card, the angiogram, the discharge summary. Families keep them in plastic folders, and the next doctor often never sees them. A signed record that follows the patient would carry them from the cardiologist to the surgeon to the family doctor.
If Someone Is Diagnosed with Cancer
- 1
Start at a government cancer centre or a scheme hospital. In Telangana these include the MNJ Institute of Oncology and listed private cancer hospitals[22]. Aarogyasri and PM-JAY packages cover cancer surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
- 2
Use the family's scheme first. The same steps apply as for the bypass: card, help desk, pre-approval, cashless treatment.
- 3
If more money is needed, apply to the Health Minister's Cancer Patient Fund. Poor patients can get up to ₹15 lakh, once, for treatment at one of 27 Regional Cancer Centres or other government hospitals that treat cancer[6]. It covers radiation, chemotherapy, bone marrow transplant, PET scans and surgery[25].
- 4
How to apply. Fill in the form from the Ministry's guidelines; the treating doctor signs it and the hospital's Medical Superintendent countersigns it; submit it at the hospital. Requests up to ₹2 lakh are decided by the cancer centre itself, larger ones by the Ministry[25].
The fund is small: from 2019–20 to 2024–25, 3,564 patients were helped, about 600 a year, with ₹229 crore[6]. For most families the main help is the insurance scheme.
What These Schemes Do Not Cover
- Clinic visits and everyday medicines. The schemes pay for hospital stays. Most of what Indian families pay from their own pockets is for outpatient care and medicines[26], and about half of all health spending in India is still paid this way (India's health in numbers).
- Families not on any list. Cover depends on a ration card, an income limit or a 2011 census list. A family just above the line can be left out, unless the state covers everyone.
- Treatment outside listed hospitals, and treatments not in the package list.
- The record itself. The scheme pays for one admission. Nothing ensures that what was found and done travels with the patient to the next doctor.
Where to Check
| Portal | What it is for |
|---|---|
| pmjay.gov.in | PM-JAY: eligibility, hospitals and the Vay Vandana card for people aged 70 and over |
| aarogyasri.telangana.gov.in | Telangana's Aarogyasri Trust: network hospitals and contacts[23] |
| ABHA | A free health ID to link records from different hospitals |
| janaushadhi.gov.in | Generic medicine stores and prices |
Sources
- Press Information Bureau. Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY explainer, September 2024 (₹5 lakh per family, 1,949 procedures, 3 days before and 15 days after admission, cover for everyone aged 70 and over). static.pib.gov.in
- The Hindu Bureau. Telangana government doubles coverage under Aarogyasri scheme to ₹10 lakh (90.1 lakh families), December 2023, via inkl. inkl.com
- Medical Dialogues. Rajasthan offers ₹25 lakh cashless treatment at 31,000 hospitals across India (MAA scheme, 2,179 packages), 30 March 2026. medicaldialogues.in
- DT Next. New CMCHIS offers ₹25 lakh cover; insurer's liability capped at ₹5 lakh, Tamil Nadu government to pay the rest; income limit raised to ₹2.5 lakh, October 2026. dtnext.in
- Medical Dialogues. Andhra Pradesh cabinet approves universal health policy: up to ₹25 lakh, insurer pays up to ₹2.5 lakh, Dr NTR Vaidya Seva Trust above that, 6 September 2025. medicaldialogues.in
- Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 5561, 4 April 2025: Health Minister's Cancer Patient Fund, one-time assistance up to ₹15 lakh for poor cancer patients at government cancer centres. eparlib.sansad.in
- Minister of State for Health, written reply in the Rajya Sabha (figures as on 28 February 2026), as reported by Medical Dialogues, 18 March 2026. medicaldialogues.in
- ThePrint. Bengal joins Ayushman Bharat: ₹5 lakh cover for 1.43 crore families; 36th state or UT, 8 June 2026. theprint.in
- Kerala Kaumudi. Centre's ₹5 lakh support for those above 70: Kerala yet to implement the scheme, 29 October 2025. keralakaumudi.com
- Deccan Herald. State's AB-ArK serving elderly better, no reason to adopt AB PM-JAY senior scheme, says Karnataka, 13 January 2025. deccanherald.com
- Minister of State for Health, written reply in the Lok Sabha (figures as on 15 July 2025), as reported by UNI, 1 August 2025. uniindia.com
- The Tribune. Health ministry raises Ni-kshay Poshan support for TB patients from ₹500 to ₹1,000 a month, 7 October 2024. tribuneindia.com
- PTI via The Week. Over 18K Jan Aushadhi Kendras opened in last 11 years, 24 March 2026. theweek.in
- Telangana Today. 163 new procedures included in Rajiv Aarogyasri scheme, rates of 1,375 revised (G.O. Ms. No. 32), 22 July 2024. telanganatoday.com
- Deccan Herald. Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka: ₹5 lakh for BPL card holders, ₹1.5 lakh for APL, 1,614 packages. deccanherald.com
- Onmanorama. Karunya health insurance scheme: free treatment up to ₹5 lakh a year per family for about 41.99 lakh families, 22 October 2025. onmanorama.com
- Onmanorama. ₹25 lakh health cover for every family: panel to prepare DPR for Oommen Chandy insurance scheme, 25 September 2026. onmanorama.com
- Free Press Journal. Maharashtra to raise MJPJAY cover from ₹1.5 lakh to ₹5 lakh, 21 June 2023. freepressjournal.in
- Medical Dialogues. Maharashtra expands cashless treatment, covers surgeries above ₹5 lakh, 14 April 2026. medicaldialogues.in
- News On AIR. Delhi joins Ayushman Bharat, doubles health cover to ₹10 lakh per family, 5 April 2025. newsonair.gov.in
- Business Standard. Odisha joins Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, signs MoU with Centre (₹5 lakh per family, extra ₹5 lakh for women), 13 January 2025. business-standard.com
- Haqdarshak Empowerment Solutions. Telangana government health schemes compilation (Aarogyasri patient process: Aarogyamithra, MEDCO, pre-authorisation), June 2024. d1rt8w07cu7021.cloudfront.net
- Aarogyasri Health Care Trust, Government of Telangana. Official website (contact numbers). aarogyasri.telangana.gov.in
- Telangana Today. CM Relief Fund applications go online from July 15 (MLA or MLC recommendation, bank transfer), 3 July 2024. telanganatoday.com
- Public Services Map. Health Minister's Cancer Patient Fund: covered treatments, Regional Cancer Centres and how to apply (from MoHFW RAN guidelines). publicservicesmap.in
- Public Health Foundation of India researchers, study in The BMJ, 2018, as reported by Pallium India. palliumindia.org