Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card

Why Was the Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card Introduced

Chronic diseases and hospitalisation are disproportionately high among elderly people in India. Even among well-meaning families, many senior citizens came to realize that the coverage of PM-JAY (where applicable) was spread across the entire family, and not enough was left for them to use the frequent hospital visits that came with old age.

To fill this void, the Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card was launched. Taking into account the fact that age is not just income, but an important health risk factor, the Government of India decided to provide senior citizens above 70 years of age a dedicated health cover, apart from any other health scheme available to the family (PIB, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare). This was a conscious move away from the income eligibility criteria followed in most other government health programs.

Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card- Key Highlights

What Is The Eligibility for Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card

The eligibility criteria for Ayushman Bharat Vaya Vandana card are simple:

• Should be an Indian citizen and be 70 years old or older.
• There is no income criteria, BPL and APL senior citizens are eligible.
• Applicable even if the senior citizen or his family is already covered under another government scheme (AB PM-JAY) or under a private health insurance scheme.
• An individual card is given to each eligible senior citizen, whether in the same family or not.

Note: This card offers an additional coverage of ₹5 lakh, which is in addition to the coverage of ₹5 lakh offered under the standard AB PM-JAY. For a family that already has PM-JAY coverage, the senior citizen's Vaya Vandana coverage will not affect or be merged with the family limit.

How to Apply for Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card

During registration, eligible beneficiaries may also create an ABHA Card, which provides a secure digital health identity for accessing health records and healthcare services across participating hospitals. 

Online Registration for Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card:

1. Install the Ayushman App from the Google Play Store, or access the official PM-JAY website.
2. Click on the option for Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card registration.
3. Key in Aadhaar number for verification.
4. Perform e-KYC using either OTP or fingerprint.
5. Upload your latest photo if needed.
6. Submit the form.

Offline Registration:

Alternatively, senior citizens may visit their nearest CSC center or empanelled hospitals’ Ayushman Mitra counter for registering for an Ayushman Vaya Vandana card.

Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card Download

After registration, the steps for downloading the Ayushman Vaya Vandana card are as follows:

• Go to the official Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY portal or use the Ayushman App.
• Login using your registered mobile number and OTP.
• Go to the “Download Card” or “e-Card” option.
• Use Aadhaar authentication for verifying your details.
• Download the card as a PDF file, or get the printout from the nearest CSC center.

This card has a unique PM-JAY ID, photo of the beneficiary and is valid at all the hospitals associated with this scheme. Beneficiaries who have registered for an ABHA ID Card can also access their digital health profile through the Ayushman App, making it easier to store and share medical records whenever required. 

Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card Benefits

However, the benefits of the Ayushman Vaya Vandana card are especially relevant to middle-class senior citizens, who earlier were unable to take advantage of the PM-JAY scheme because of the income factor, but can now be assured of specialized elderly cover irrespective of their economic background.

Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card Hospital List

The Ayushman Vaya Vandana card hospitals list comprises all those hospitals that have been enrolled under AB PM-JAY across the country. One can find a list of hospitals in the following way:

• Go to the official website of PM-JAY at pmjay.gov.in.
• Go to the section named “Find Hospital” or “Hospital Search”.
• Select your state and district.
• See the list of enrolled hospitals, both government and private hospitals, nearby.

There is no other list of hospitals specific to the Vaya Vandana card and the scheme works on the same national PM-JAY hospital network.

How the Claim Process Works

The Ayushman Vaya Vandana card functions on a wholly cashless scheme in line with the overall concept of the AB PM-JAY Scheme:

• Go to an empanelled hospital using your Ayushman Vaya Vandana card and Aadhaar.
• The Ayushman Mitra desk at the hospital authenticates the beneficiary from the PM-JAY portal.
• Pre-authorisation is done for the intended treatment before admission.
• Cashless treatment is provided where the hospital directly pays the bill to the State Health Agency /NHA.
• In case of emergencies, the patient is admitted and then pre-authorization is done.

Empanelled hospitals denying cashless treatment to beneficiaries on Vaya Vandana card must be informed via helpline.

Helpline and Support for Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card

Together with the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, PMJAY, and digital initiatives such as the ABHA Card, the Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card contributes to building a more accessible and technology-enabled healthcare system for India's senior citizens.

The Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card also strengthens the Government of India's broader healthcare ecosystem by complementing the objectives of the National Health Mission. Together with initiatives such as Ayushman Arogya Mandir, PM Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana, and Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana, it helps senior citizens access preventive care, affordable medicines and financial protection against hospitalisation.