What is Ayushman Bharat Scheme? Check Eligibility, Benefits Here

Ayushman Bharat scheme, often referred to as 'Modicare' was officially announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today in his Independence Day speech. This flagship project will be launched on September 25. The ambitious Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) aims to provide coverage of Rs. 5 lakh per family annually, benefiting more than 10 crore poor families, according to a release issued by PIB (Press Information Bureau). The scheme will target poor, deprived rural families and identified occupational category of urban workers' families, 8.03 crore in rural and 2.33 crore in urban areas, as per the latest SECC (Socio Economic Caste Census) data.

Here are the eligibility details and benefits of PM Modis' Ayushman Bharat scheme:

1. Ayushman Bharat scheme has a defined benefit cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year. The target beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat scheme will be more than 10 crore families belonging to poor and vulnerable population based on SECC database.  

2. This cover will take care of almost all secondary care and most of tertiary care procedures. 

3.  Under this project, the entitlement will be decided on the basis of deprivation criteria in the SECC database. The different categories in rural area include families having only one room with kucha walls and kucharoof; families having no adult member between age 16 to 59; female headed households with no adult male member between age 16 to 59; disabled member and no able bodied adult member in the family; SC/ST households; and landless households deriving major part of their income from manual casual labour, as mentioned on the official website of Ayushman Bharat scheme-abnhpm.gov.in.

4. Automatically included families in rural areas having any one of the following: households without shelter, destitute, living on alms, manual scavenger families, primitive tribal groups, legally released bonded labour, will also come under this scheme. For urban areas, 11 defined occupational categories will be entitled under the scheme.

5. There will be no restriction on family size, age and gender under 'Ayushman Bharat' scheme to ensure that nobody is left out (especially women, children and elderly).

6. Under this scheme, the treatment in case of hospitalization will be free of cost for the family.

7. All pre-existing conditions will be covered from day one of the policy. The benefit cover will include pre and post hospitalization. 

8. The beneficiary will be able to go to public or empaneled private hospitals across the country and get free treatment.

9. The beneficiary will only need to carry any prescribed ID to receive treatment at the hospital.

10. According to Dr Dharminder Nagar, MD, Paras Healthcare, "Government is acting strongly and actively in making 'Ayushman Bharat' a reality.  PM's announcement of rolling the policy under 'Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya' through a technologically driven transparent platform speaks of government's vision. We hope that Ayushman Bharat paves way for a concerted effort on improving country's healthcare facilities."