It might be difficult to bring all of your previous medical records with you when seeing a doctor. Wouldn’t it be much easier if you could save all of your medical information online instead?
With this in mind, the Government of India introduced the “Ayushman Bharat Health Account” (ABHA) card, a digital health ID card.
The 14-digit ABHA number serves as your participant ID in India’s digital healthcare ecosystem. The ABHA number will give you with a solid and trustworthy identification that will be acknowledged by healthcare providers and payers across the country.
The Abha Health Card is available to all Indian citizens, and there is no age restriction for membership. The State Government issues the card through District Hospitals and Community Health Centers. The card’s rates are low, making it affordable to a wide spectrum of consumers.
Eligibility for Abha Health Card
- Residency: The applicant must be an Indian resident. This indicates that the candidate must have a permanent residence in India prior to applying for the Abha Health Card.
- Age: Enrollment in the Abha Health Card system has no age restrictions. People of all ages, including children and the elderly, are eligible for the programme.
- Income: The Abha Health Card is intended to provide cheap healthcare services to people from all walks of life. As a result, there is no income restriction for participation in the plan. It is available to people of all economic levels.
- The Aadhaar card: A valid Aadhaar card is required for the application. The Aadhaar card is a government-issued unique identity card. It serves as identification and address evidence.
- Current medical insurance: There must be no other health insurance coverage for the applicant. The applicant will not be eligible for the Abha Health Card if they are currently insured by a health insurance policy.
- Medical conditions that existed previously: There must be no pre-existing medical issues for the candidate. The applicant will not be eligible for the Abha Health Card if they have any pre-existing medical issues.
- Gender: The Abha Health Card is available to persons of all genders, including men, women, and transgender people.
Abha Health Card enrollment procedure:
- To apply for the Abha Health Card, the applicant must go to the District Hospital or Community Health Center.
- The applicant must complete the application form and submit it with the required documentation.
- The applicant must pay the card’s premium.
- The applicant will receive the card once the application is approved.
Benefits of Abha Health Card
The Abha Health Card offers various advantages to cardholders and their family members. The following are some of the primary advantages of the Abha Health Card:
- Hospitalization without cash:
The Abha Health Card allows for cashless hospitalization at govt-approved institutions. This implies the cardholder is not required to pay for medical bills out of pocket. The insurance company pays the hospital expenses directly.
- Complimentary health checkups:
The Abha Health Card entitles the bearer and their family members to free health checks at empanelled facilities. This includes diagnostic testing, medical consultations, and medications.
- Complete protection:
The Abha Health Card covers a wide variety of medical charges, including hospitalisation, pre- and post-hospitalization, and childcare services. The card also covers surgical, organ transplant, and critical sickness charges.
- There is no upper age limit:
The Abha Health Card has no age restrictions, thus even the elderly can benefit from the programme. People of all ages, including youngsters and the elderly, are covered by the card.
- Affordability of premiums:
The Abha Health Card has low rates, making it affordable to a wide spectrum of people. The premiums are computed depending on the cardholder’s age and income.
- Simple to renew:
The Abha Health Card is simple to renew, and it may be done online or at one of the empanelled hospitals. The card is valid for one year after it is issued and can be renewed annually.
- Medical support in an emergency:
In the event of an emergency, the Abha Health Card provides the cardholder and their family members with emergency medical help, including ambulance services and hospitalisation. In addition, the card covers accidental accidents and medical crises when travelling.
- Coverage for alternative medicine:
The Abha Health Card covers alternative medicine such as Ayurveda, Homeopathy, and Unani medicine. These services are available to cardholders at accredited hospitals.
How to Get an Ayushman Bharat Health Account Number?
The processes to get your Ayushman Bharat Health Account number are straightforward, and the total process should take no more than 10 minutes. The steps are as follows.
Step 1: Go to the NDHM website or download and use the ABHA mobile app.
Step 2: Opt for the “Go to create my ABHA number” option. Instead, go to https://abha.abdm.gov.in/register.
Step 3: Input your driver’s licence, Aadhar card, or PAN number.
Step 4: An OTP will be provided to the registered mobile phone number, which must be entered.
Step 5: You will then be prompted to input your mobile number and will receive an OTP on your phone to confirm it.
Step 6: When you confirm your cellphone number, a National Health Authority form page will appear. You will be required to input personal information such as your name, age, gender, email address, and so on.
Step 7: Once your replies have been submitted, you will be able to get your ABHA ID. You may log in and use those credentials to access all of the ABHA services.
Online ABHA digital health ID card download
After completing the registration process, you may download your ABHA digital health ID card. The two simple procedures to downloading your ABHA health card online are as follows.
Option 1: Log in to your account on the NDHM official website or the ABHA mobile app (If available).
Option 2: Download the ABHA mobile app from the Google Play Store, log in with your credentials, and download your ABHA card.
Why is an ABHA digital health ID card required?
Taking medical records with you every time you go to the hospital might be inconvenient. Keeping track of your medical history might sometimes be difficult. An ABHA digital health ID card addresses these concerns by centralising all of your medical information. As a result, you may share your ID number with medical professionals such as physicians and insurance, and they will be able to examine your medical information immediately.
To summarise
Getting an ABHA card can increase your access to medical treatment greatly. It will assist you in locating health centres and medical specialists, as well as easily sharing your medical details with doctors throughout India. You may also preserve your medical data securely and allow access to medical specialists as needed. Having an ABHA card might so enhance your entire healthcare experience.
