Prime Minister- Road Accident Victims' Hospitalisation and Assured Treatment (PM-RAHAT) Scheme

Why Was the PM-RAHAT Scheme Introduced

The reality of road accidents in India is that death comes not from the injury itself, but from the failure to provide timely treatment and make proper use of the golden hour, that first hour after a traumatic injury that is the most crucial to save a life. Many hospitals, especially private hospitals, refused to take accident victims unless they were paid in advance or the responsibility for payment was assured.

The PM-RAHAT Scheme was conceived to do away with this altogether. Under Section 162 of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988, the scheme legally compels hospitals to treat road accident victims whether they can afford it or not and the cost is reimbursed later by the government and insurance system. This is a statutory scheme which will supersede any Central/State-level scheme and victims will always be given priority care as per the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Key Highlights Of PM-RAHAT Scheme

Who Is Eligible for the PM-RAHAT Scheme

The PM-RAHAT scheme is for all victims of road accidents:

• All road traffic accident victims for all types of roads involving the use of motor vehicles;
• No proof of income, BPL or insurance needed at the time of treatment.
• Can be used when it is a Hit- Run case, insured case, or uninsured case
• The cover is provided no matter where the victim may reside as it is a national scheme.

The victim must not have to register or enroll in advance. The eligibility criteria are automatically met at the moment one can be taken to a hospital that accepts motorists with road accidents.

How the PM-RAHAT Scheme Works

The PM-RAHAT scheme is a fully digital, integrated scheme:

• Accident Reporting: Under the scheme, the victim or a Good Samaritan (called RAH-VEER) can dial the 112 Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) to find the nearest hospital that has been designated to treat the victim and request an ambulance.
• Treatment initiation: Treatment starts as soon as the person is admitted to the health facility, according to the National Health Authority (NHA) developed Health Benefit Package.
• Police Authentication: During the treatment, the hospital will create Treatment ID(s) on the TMS 2.0 system and send them to the district police via eDAR for authentication.
• Response Window: The police get 24 hours to respond in non-life-threatening cases and 48 hours in life-threatening cases as defined by the hospital administrator.
• Claim Processing: The digital trail continues from the accident report to a person's admission, treatment, authentication by the police, processing of the claim and payment.

What Does the PM-RAHAT Scheme Cover

Designated Hospitals Under PM-RAHAT

The National Health Authority has issued detailed guidelines for designation and onboarding of hospitals by States/UTs. Hospitals that have been empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, officially known as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), and comply with the National Health Authority (NHA) guidelines are automatically designated hospitals under the PM-RAHAT Scheme. Arogya Mitra help desks available at many of these hospitals also assist patients and their families with beneficiary support and treatment-related guidance.

Currently (till 09.03.2026), there are 36,112 hospitals empanelled under PMJAY, enabling the PM-RAHAT Scheme to leverage the extensive hospital network created under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana.

How the Claim and Reimbursement Process Works

In PM-RAHAT, the victim's entire transaction is in a cashless format. The hospital is reimbursed directly through the system:

• Cashless treatment: Upon the victim's admission to the hospital, they are treated without requiring payment of any bills. When a road accident victim comes to the hospital, cashless treatment is provided right away.
• Digital process: A fully digital workflow through TMS 2.0 and eDAR enables seamless claim processing. Beneficiaries may also use their ABHA Card or ABHA ID Card, wherever applicable, to securely access and share their digital health records during treatment.
• Approval: The claim is approved by the State Health Agency (SHA)
• Timely processing of claims: District Collectors or the General Insurance (GI) Council should process payments within 10 days if they are approved.
• Payment: Funds are paid from the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVAF).

The end-to-end digital integration is intended to bring transparency, stop abuse and establish an unarguable electronic chain of the accident, treatment and payment of all cases.

Grievance Redressal Under PM-RAHAT

The scheme has a structured, multi-level grievance redressal mechanism:

• District Level: District Road Safety Committees (DRSCs) supervise and oversee implementation. At the district level there is a dedicated Grievance Redressal Officer (GRO).
• State Level: In this, unresolved grievances are taken to the District Collector thereafter to the State Road Safety Council (SRSC), the nodal agency of the scheme in each state or UT.
• National Level: An Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee coordinates and monitors issues that may occur during implementation of the project.

PM-RAHAT Helpline and Support

The PM-RAHAT Scheme also complements several other national healthcare initiatives. While emergency treatment is covered under PM-RAHAT, patients can continue their healthcare journey through Ayushman Arogya Mandir for primary care, purchase affordable medicines under the PM Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana, and maintain their digital health records using the ABHA Card.

The PM-RAHAT Scheme is an important initiative in India's road safety and emergency care system. The scheme has been provided with ₹1.5 lakh cover per victim, 36,112 hospital network inherited from AB PM-JAY and a completely digital claims process with eDAR and TMS 2.0, ensuring no financial uncertainty costs any life during the Golden Hour. This was confirmed by Union Minister Nitin Jairam Gadkari in his reply in the Rajya Sabha.