To download your Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY card in 2026, use the official beneficiary portal at beneficiary.nha.gov.in or the official Ayushman App. Log in with your registered mobile number and OTP, then search your record and download the card. To find a hospital, use the official empanelled hospital search at hospitals.pmjay.gov.in.
This page gives the official download steps, how to check eligibility, how to find empanelled hospitals, and what to do if your name is not found or a hospital refuses treatment.
If you are short on time: jump to How to download your Ayushman card. Use only the official portal. Never pay an agent and never share your OTP.
Quick summary (2026)
Use only the official Ayushman Bharat or PM-JAY portal to download the card or check the hospital list.
The Ayushman card is the beneficiary card under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY. It lets an eligible family get cashless hospital treatment of up to ₹5 lakh per year at empanelled hospitals. The cover is for secondary and tertiary care, and includes up to 3 days of pre hospitalisation and 15 days of post hospitalisation costs (Press Information Bureau, 23 September 2024).
In 2024 the scheme was widened. From 29 October 2024, all senior citizens aged 70 years and above can get the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card with ₹5 lakh cover, whatever their income. Seniors in families already under PM-JAY get an extra top up cover (PIB, PRID 2082288).
These are two different things. People often confuse them.
In short, ABHA stores your records, while the PM-JAY card pays for hospital treatment. You can hold both. This page is about the PM-JAY card.
Confirm the exact on screen fields and the eKYC step on the live portal, as the National Health Authority updates the flow from time to time.
Use the same official portal or app to check if you are a beneficiary.
Use the official hospital search.
As on 28 February 2026, the scheme listed 36,229 empanelled hospitals, made up of 19,483 public and 16,746 private hospitals (PIB, PRID 2243769). Always confirm the hospital is currently empanelled before you go.
Confirm the exact ID asked for, as it can differ by state.
PM-JAY covers eligible poor and vulnerable families, with a goal of covering over 12 crore families, about 55 crore people (PIB, 23 September 2024). From 29 October 2024, all citizens aged 70 years and above are also covered through the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card, whatever their income (PIB, PRID 2079021). The simplest way to know your status is to check on the official portal or app, or call 14555.
The official position is clear. Empanelled hospitals cannot deny treatment to eligible beneficiaries (PIB, PRID 2243769). If an empanelled hospital refuses, or asks you to pay for covered treatment:
Health note: this page is general information, not medical advice. For any decision about your treatment, talk to the treating doctor, the hospital, or the official helpline. Do not delay urgent care.
Use only official channels.
If the helpline and the grievance system do not give you a clear answer, the Right to Information Act, 2005 can help. You can file an RTI with the Public Information Officer of the State Health Agency that runs PM-JAY in your state.
You can ask for:
A simple RTI request looks like this.
To, The Public Information Officer, [State Health Agency / Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, your State] Subject: Information under the RTI Act, 2005 about my Ayushman PM-JAY case Under Section 6(1) of the RTI Act, 2005, please provide: 1. The reason my name is not in the PM-JAY beneficiary list, with the rule relied on. 2. The status and file movement of my Ayushman card or eligibility request. 3. The action taken on my complaint dated [date] about denial of treatment by [hospital]. 4. The expected date of decision. I am ready to pay the prescribed fee under Section 7. Please reply within 30 days. Name: Address: Date:
The Public Information Officer must reply within 30 days under Section 7(1). If there is no reply or an unclear one, file a first appeal under Section 19(1) within 30 days. Draft the letter with our AI RTI Drafter, build the appeal with the First Appeal Builder, and read file RTI when a government benefit is denied.
Open beneficiary.nha.gov.in or the official Ayushman App, enter your registered mobile number, and verify with the OTP. Then search your record and download the card. If the number is not linked to your record, the card will not show, so use the number you gave during registration.
No. The ABHA number is a 14 digit health records ID under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, and anyone can make it free. The Ayushman PM-JAY card is the entitlement card that gives an eligible family ₹5 lakh hospital cover. They are different, and you can hold both.
Use the official search at hospitals.pmjay.gov.in. Select your state and district, then filter by hospital type or speciality. You can also search by hospital name or set a distance in kilometres. Confirm the hospital is currently empanelled before you travel.
PM-JAY gives an eligible family up to ₹5 lakh per year for hospitalisation at empanelled hospitals (PIB, 23 September 2024). From 29 October 2024, citizens aged 70 and above are covered through the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card, whatever their income. Confirm your status on the official portal or by calling 14555.
Empanelled hospitals cannot deny treatment to eligible beneficiaries (PIB, PRID 2243769). Note the hospital name and date, then complain through the CGRMS grievance portal at cgrms.nha.gov.in or call 14555. For urgent medical needs, also speak to the treating doctor and do not delay care.
No. The card is free through the official portal, app, helpline or empanelled hospital help desk. The official process never asks you to pay an agent or share your OTP. If someone demands money or an OTP, treat it as fraud and report it through the official grievance channel.
Get the free checklist: Ayushman Card Download Checklist 2026
It lists the official portal and app, the details you need, the hospital search steps, and the complaint and RTI routes if your name is missing or a hospital denies treatment. If you face a treatment denial or card issue, pair it with the AI RTI Drafter.
Last reviewed: June 2026. This is general information, not legal or medical advice. Always confirm details on the official government portal and speak to a doctor for medical decisions.