How to Apply for the Golden Health Card?

Health insurance is something that everyone needs for their financial well-being. It provides individuals with much-needed financial support in case they encounter an unexpected medical emergency. However, individuals belonging to lower economic groups and rural areas often forgo purchasing the policy due to financial constraints, lack of awareness, or limited access to the Internet.

To address this issue and extend the advantages of insurance to such individuals, the Government of India has implemented the Ayushman Bharat Yojana or Golden Card insurance.

Let's delve deeper into the benefits of this program and explore the application process for obtaining the Golden Health Card.

About the Golden Health Card

The health care scheme Golden Card is a prominent health policy program implemented by the Government of India. It is commonly referred to as Ayushman Bharat Yojana and aims to provide financial protection to individuals during hospitalisation in the event of a medical emergency. The program specifically targets the impoverished, vulnerable, and economically weaker sections of society.

The Ayushman Bharat Yojana was launched in September 2015 following its announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day speech. Its objective is to cover more than 50 crore citizens of India, including approximately 10 crore underprivileged families, without any restrictions based on the age or size of the family.

Under the scheme, each family is entitled to a maximum sum insured of ₹5 lakh. In addition to hospitalisation expenses, the scheme covers the costs of diagnostic tests, medications, pre-hospitalisation expenses, COVID-19 treatment, post-hospitalisation expenses, and a wide range of secondary and tertiary healthcare procedures, encompassing nearly 1400 expensive treatments such as knee replacements and skull surgeries. The scheme also includes coverage for follow-up treatments.

One of the key benefits of the scheme is that it facilitates cashless hospitalisation at network hospitals nationwide. To avail themselves of cashless treatment, beneficiaries are provided with an Ayushman Bharat Golden Card. This e-card serves as proof of eligibility and must be presented at the network hospital to avail cashless treatment. The health Golden Card process for application is easy; let us see how!

What are the Benefits?

The Golden Card offers a range of benefits to the poor and economically weaker sections of society:

1. Family Floater Scheme: The scheme operates as a family health insurance plan, allowing the entire family to be covered under a single policy.
2. Offline Accessibility: Individuals from lower economic groups, who may not have access to the internet, can still avail online health insurance plans through this scheme.
3. Pan-India Coverage: The scheme provides beneficiaries with free healthcare treatment and facilities nationwide.
4. Extensive Medical Coverage: It covers 25 speciality categories and approximately 1354 medical and surgical packages, including cardiology, neurology, and more.
5. Cancer Treatment Coverage: The scheme covers the treatment cost for around 50 types of cancers, including the expenses for chemotherapy.
6. Multiple Surgeries: In the case of multiple surgeries, the scheme covers the cost of the highest package. Additionally, the second surgery cost is covered by up to 50%, and the third surgery cost is covered by up to 25% of the total expenses.
7. Day Care Coverage: The scheme includes coverage for daycare expenses, ensuring that beneficiaries receive the necessary medical care without being admitted to a hospital overnight.
8. Comprehensive Coverage: It covers pre-hospitalisation and post-hospitalisation expenses, as well as transportation costs incurred during the treatment period.
9. Follow-up Treatment: Beneficiaries can also avail coverage for follow-up treatment, ensuring continuity of care.
10. Coverage for Pre-existing Diseases: The scheme provides coverage for certain pre-existing diseases, offering financial protection for individuals with ongoing medical conditions.
11. Cashless Treatment: The scheme allows beneficiaries to access cashless treatment facilities at both public and private network hospitals. This convenient process requires the possession of an Ayushman Bharat Golden card.

How to Apply for the Golden Card Health Insurance?

To avail the cashless treatment benefits, you must acquire an Ayushman Golden Card. Here are the steps on How to apply for Golden Health Card:

1. Visit the official website of PMJAY.
2. Search the login option once you visit the website.
3. Submit the contact number and the captcha code.
4. Generate the OTP (One-Time Password) and use it to log in to the website.
5. Choose the HHD (Healthcare Provider Identification) code and provide this code to the Common Service Centre (CSC). The CSC will verify the HHD code and other necessary details.
6. The Ayushman Mitra or CSC representatives will guide you through the remaining application process.
7. A fee of ₹30 will be required to obtain the Ayushman Golden Card.
8. Once the application process is complete, your Ayushman Bharat Golden Card will be issued to you.

Conclusion

Ayushman Bharat Yojana stands as one of the largest & best health insurance schemes globally. It offers coverage for hospitalisation expenses to individuals from the poor, vulnerable, and economically weaker sections of society. Moreover, beneficiaries can access cashless treatment at network hospitals by obtaining the Ayushman Bharat Golden Card.