Quick answer: Aadhaar is not needed to see a doctor or get treatment at a government hospital, but it is central to India’s two biggest health schemes in different ways. For an Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY card, beneficiaries are verified through Aadhaar-based e-KYC. For an ABHA health ID, Aadhaar is optional, because you can also create one with a driving licence.
Where Aadhaar fits in India’s health schemes
When this article was first written, Aadhaar was being linked to a long list of welfare schemes, and the government was talking about health records being “linked to Aadhaar”. Two schemes have since been built, and they treat Aadhaar very differently:
| Scheme | What it does | Role of Aadhaar |
|---|---|---|
| Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) | Cashless hospital treatment, up to ₹5 lakh per family per year | Aadhaar e-KYC when the Ayushman card is made, and Aadhaar authentication when you use it |
| Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) | A 14-digit health ID that links your digital health records | Optional. Can be created with Aadhaar or a driving licence |
| Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (TB nutrition support) | ₹1,000 a month during TB treatment | Requested, but the benefit cannot be denied for lack of Aadhaar |
The legal background matters here. In September 2018 the Supreme Court of India upheld the use of Aadhaar for government subsidies and benefits under Section 7 of the Aadhaar Act, but said children cannot be denied scheme benefits for lack of Aadhaar. The Aadhaar Act itself was later amended in 2019. Our guide to the Aadhaar Act and the Supreme Court judgment explains this history.
Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY: Aadhaar e-KYC for the Ayushman card
AB PM-JAY is the government’s health assurance scheme for secondary and tertiary hospital care. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, it gives cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year to about 12 crore families, roughly the poorest 40% of the population. A July 2026 ministry release said the scheme now runs in all 36 States and Union Territories, and that treatment is portable: a beneficiary can be admitted cashless at any empanelled hospital in the country.
Aadhaar plays two roles in PM-JAY, according to the health ministry’s reply in Parliament in February 2025:
- When the card is made: beneficiaries are verified through Aadhaar e-KYC at the time the Ayushman card is created. This is meant to weed out ineligible or duplicate beneficiaries.
- When you are treated: beneficiaries also undergo Aadhaar authentication at the hospital when they avail services.
A 2023 health ministry clarification adds a practical point for families: children up to five years old can be treated on a parent’s Ayushman card.
Senior citizens aged 70 and above: the Ayushman Vay Vandana card
Since 29 October 2024, every Indian aged 70 or above is eligible for PM-JAY whatever their income, through the Ayushman Vay Vandana card. According to a December 2024 ministry release:
- The card gives up to ₹5 lakh of free cover a year. Seniors whose family is already covered by PM-JAY get an extra top-up of up to ₹5 lakh a year for themselves.
- Seniors who already use the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) or the Ayushman CAPF scheme must choose between that scheme and PM-JAY.
- People with private health insurance or Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) cover are still eligible.
- You can register at an empanelled hospital, through the Ayushman app on Android, or on the beneficiary portal (beneficiary.nha.gov.in).
How to get an Ayushman card
- Check whether your family is eligible on the beneficiary portal (beneficiary.nha.gov.in) or the Ayushman app, or ask the Pradhan Mantri Arogya Mitra help desk at an empanelled hospital.
- Complete Aadhaar e-KYC. This needs your Aadhaar number and an OTP, fingerprint, iris or face authentication. If your mobile number is not linked to Aadhaar, use biometric or face authentication at a hospital help desk or Common Service Centre (CSC) instead.
- Once the request is approved, download the Ayushman card from the same app or portal.
The National Health Authority’s helpline is 14555 (toll-free). Eligibility is set by government lists, so a missing name cannot be fixed by paying anyone. Treat any offer of a paid “Ayushman card registration” with suspicion.
ABHA (health ID): Aadhaar is optional
The original article imagined doctors pulling up your medical history “from the Aadhaar database”. That is not how it works. Health records are not stored in Aadhaar. Instead, the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), launched in September 2021, created the ABHA number, a separate 14-digit health ID.
According to a Press Information Bureau (PIB) backgrounder of July 2026, more than 104 crore health records were linked to over 93 crore ABHA accounts. In practice, ABHA works like this:
- Hospitals, labs and clinics on ABDM can link your reports and prescriptions to your ABHA.
- You can see them in an ABHA or personal health record app.
- Another doctor can view them only with your consent, which you can withdraw.
Creating an ABHA is free and voluntary, and Aadhaar is only one way to do it. The health ministry told Parliament in 2022 that an ABHA can be created with an Aadhaar number or a driving licence, and that offline ABHA creation was available for areas with poor internet. You can create one on the ABHA portal (abha.abdm.gov.in), through the Aarogya Setu app (relaunched as a digital health app in June 2026), or at a participating hospital.
Child health, immunisation and birth records
This article originally said a newborn’s records could be linked to the mother’s Aadhaar so that vaccination reminders reach her phone. That idea now runs through U-WIN, the digital platform for the Universal Immunization Programme. According to the health ministry (November 2024), U-WIN records vaccinations for pregnant women and children from birth to 16 years, sends SMS reminders for upcoming doses, issues QR-based e-vaccination certificates, and can generate an ABHA or a child ABHA during registration. Mission Indradhanush, the catch-up immunisation drive mentioned in the original, feeds into the same programme.
For birth registration, the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023 asks for the Aadhaar numbers of the parents and the informant “if available”, so a missing Aadhaar should not block registration. Children under five can get a blue Baal Aadhaar linked to a parent’s Aadhaar; see our guide to Aadhaar for children.
What if you do not have Aadhaar?
- Treatment itself: diagnosis and treatment at government facilities do not depend on Aadhaar. For example, TB tests and treatment are free under the National TB Elimination Programme.
- PM-JAY: Aadhaar e-KYC is the standard route for the Ayushman card. If you do not have Aadhaar, ask the Pradhan Mantri Arogya Mitra at an empanelled hospital or call 14555 about your options, and enrol for Aadhaar (enrolment is free).
- ABHA: use a driving licence instead.
- Cash benefits for TB patients: see our guide to Aadhaar and the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana for TB patients.
An earlier version of this article said you could use your Aadhaar enrolment slip, voter ID, PAN, bank passbook or ration card “to avail the benefits”. That came from a 2017 notification for TB cash assistance and was never a general rule for all health schemes. For a wider view of what Aadhaar can and must be linked with, see our Aadhaar linking overview.
Frequently asked questions
Is Aadhaar compulsory for the Ayushman card?
In practice, yes. The health ministry says PM-JAY beneficiaries are verified through Aadhaar e-KYC when the card is created and through Aadhaar authentication when they take treatment. If you have no Aadhaar, ask the scheme helpline (14555) or a hospital Arogya Mitra what you can do.
Can I create an ABHA without Aadhaar?
Yes. The health ministry says an ABHA can be created with a driving licence as well as with Aadhaar. Creating an ABHA is voluntary and free.
Is my medical history stored in Aadhaar?
No. Aadhaar holds identity details only. Digital health records are held by the hospitals and labs that create them and are linked to your ABHA, and they are shared only with your consent.
Does a person aged 70 or above need a BPL or ration card for the Vay Vandana card?
No. The Vay Vandana card is for everyone aged 70 or above, irrespective of income or socio-economic status. Enrolment still goes through Aadhaar e-KYC like any other Ayushman card.
Do I need to carry the Ayushman card to get treatment?
The card itself is a convenience. The health ministry told Parliament in 2019 that PM-JAY is an entitlement-based scheme, that no scheme-specific card is needed to avail benefits, and that beneficiaries are identified at empanelled hospitals by Pradhan Mantri Arogya Mitras. Aadhaar authentication at the hospital is still part of the process, so carry your Aadhaar. If you face a problem, call 14555.
Scheme details in this guide were checked in October 2026 against Ministry of Health and Family Welfare releases and parliamentary replies (published through PIB), National Health Authority information and the 2018 Supreme Court Aadhaar judgment. Health scheme rules change, so confirm eligibility on the official portal or helpline before you apply.
