Updated 6 July 2025 at 16:51 IST
How Many Times Can You Use Your Ayushman Card? Key Rules Explained
You can use your Ayushman card multiple times a year, as long as the total treatment cost stays within the ₹5 lakh annual coverage limit.
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Healthcare costs can place a significant strain on low-income families, often pushing them into debt or preventing access to essential medical treatment. To address this pressing issue, the Government of India launched the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), one of the world's largest publicly funded health insurance schemes.
Under this initiative, eligible families can receive cashless hospitalisation coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per year, helping them access quality medical care without the stress of financial hardship.
In this article, we will walk you through everything you need to know about the Ayushman Bharat health card.
What is Ayushman Card?
The Ayushman Bharat card is issued as part of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) and is linked to the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA). It plays a key role in enabling seamless access to quality healthcare services and benefits offered under the PMJAY scheme.
Designed to make healthcare both affordable and accessible, the card allows eligible beneficiaries to avail cashless and paperless treatment for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation. Each enrolled family is entitled to coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per year, significantly reducing the financial burden of medical expenses.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Scheme | Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) |
| Launch Date | 23rd September 2018 |
| Health Coverage | ₹5 lakh per family annually, with an additional ₹5 lakh for senior citizens (70+ years) |
| Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs) | 1,50,000 centers established to provide comprehensive primary healthcare |
| Procedures Covered | Approximately 1,929 procedures |
| Pre-hospitalisation Charges | Covered up to 3 days |
| Post-hospitalisation Charges | Covered up to 15 days |
| Pre-existing Diseases | Covered from day one |
| Daycare Expenses | Includes daycare treatment, consultations, and medical examinations |
| Family Floater Scheme | Covers all family members under a single sum insured |
| Cashless Facility | Available at all empanelled public and private hospitals across India |
| Helpline Numbers | 14555, 1800-11-0770 |
| Website | pmjay.gov.in |
| Email ID | webmaster-pmjay@nha.gov.in |
How Many Times Can You Use Your Ayushman Card?
The Ayushman card can be used multiple times throughout the year, as long as the total cost of treatment does not exceed the annual coverage limit. Under PMJAY, each eligible family is entitled to ₹5 lakh worth of treatment per year.
This means you can use the card for different medical procedures or hospital visits any number of times, there is no restriction on frequency as long as the total expenses remain within the ₹5 lakh cap.
The card’s usage limit resets every year, meaning beneficiaries get a fresh ₹5 lakh coverage at the start of each policy year. There's no need to reapply annually unless there's a change in eligibility.
The Ayushman card is valid at all empanelled hospitals, both public and private, that are part of the PMJAY network across India. You can check the list of empanelled hospitals on the official website: https://pmjay.gov.in.
Published 6 July 2025 at 16:51 IST