Is the Ayushman Card ₹5 Lakh Per Person or Family?

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Launched on 23rd September 2018, the Ayushman card under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) has become a vital medical and financial support system for many Indian citizens.


However, there’s a common confusion about whether the ₹5 lakh cap applies to each person or to the whole family in the Ayushman card. Keep reading to know more about this.


Does the Ayushman Card Provide ₹5 Lakhs Coverage Per Person or for the Family as a Whole?


The Ayushman card under the PMJAY scheme provides insurance coverage of up to ₹5 lakhs per family per year, not per person. This will help all members of the family who are included in the Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 (SECC 2011) receive cashless treatment at empanelled public and private hospitals across the country.


Who is Eligible for the Ayushman Card Under the PMJAY Scheme?


Here is the list of people belonging to urban and rural households who can opt for the Ayushman card:


Urban Households



  • Domestic workers.

  • Street vendors, hawkers, cobblers, or other service providers working on the streets.

  • Construction workers, masons, plumbers, labourers, welders, painters, coolies, security guards, and other head-load workers.

  • Home-based workers, handicraft workers, artisans, and tailors.

  • Sweepers, sanitation workers, and malis.

  • Assistants, shop workers, peons in small establishments, delivery assistants, helpers, waiters, and attendants.

  • Transport workers, conductors, drivers, cart pullers, helpers to drivers and conductors, and rickshaw pullers.

  • Electricians, assemblers, mechanics, and repair workers.

  • Washermen and chowkidars.


Rural Households



  • Households with no adult members aged between 16 years and 59 years.

  • Families living in kucha houses with one room.

  • Households with no adult male members aged 16 years to 59 years.

  • Landless families that depend on manual casual labour.

  • SC/ST households.

  • Families with a disabled member and no non-disabled adult member.


Senior Citizens



  • All senior citizens aged over 70 years in both rural and urban areas.

  • Senior citizens already covered under the Ayushman Bharat PMJAY (AB PMJAY) can get an additional top-up cover of up to ₹5 lakhs per year.

  • Senior citizens with private health insurance policies or the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) scheme can also apply for AB PMJAY.

  • Senior citizens receiving benefits from other public health insurance schemes, like the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), or Ayushman Central Armed Police Force (CAPF). They can either keep their current scheme or switch to AB PMJAY.


Therefore, the Ayushman Card under the PMJAY scheme offers a limit of ₹5 lakh per family, covering all eligible members collectively rather than per individual.


With this aspect in mind, along with the eligibility criteria and registration procedure, you can make informed decisions to ensure that your family is included in this health insurance scheme.