I have both an ABHA card and an Ayushman Bharat card. They look similar and have similar names. What is the actual difference between the two, and do I need both?
The Ayushman Bharat card and the ABHA card are two very different things with distinct purposes, even though they are both part of the same national health mission. The Ayushman card is a financial tool for an exclusive health insurance scheme, while the ABHA card is a health information tool that is available to all citizens for managing digital records.
The Purpose: Financial Benefit vs. Health Records
I was explaining this to my neighbor to clear his confusion. I told him to think of his Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY) card as his insurance policy card. He uses it only when he needs to claim the ₹5 lakh cashless treatment benefit during a hospital admission. His ABHA card, on the other hand, is like a unique digital file number for his health. It’s an ID used to store and link all his medical reports, prescriptions, and discharge summaries in one secure place online.
Who is Eligible: A Restricted Scheme vs. A Universal ID
My friend, who is from a middle-income family and not eligible for the PM-JAY insurance scheme, was able to create his ABHA card online in just two minutes. This is because the ABHA card is universal, and any Indian citizen can voluntarily create one. The Ayushman Bharat card, however, is entitlement-based. My friend cannot get one because his family’s name is not on the specific government beneficiary list derived from the 2011 census.
How They Work Together
A doctor at a local hospital explained how the two cards are designed to work together. He said that when an Ayushman beneficiary gets treatment at his hospital, they use the Ayushman card to process the cashless payment. After the treatment is done, the hospital then links the patient’s discharge summary and lab reports to their ABHA number. This creates a permanent digital record of the treatment, which the patient can then securely access and show to any doctor in the future.
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