If you have an Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY card and need hospital treatment, checking the hospital's empanelment before admission can help you avoid confusion about eligibility, cashless treatment and whether the required speciality or package is available.
The National Health Authority (NHA) maintains the PM-JAY ecosystem of empanelled hospitals. Hospital records can include the hospital's name, location, contact details, empanelment information and other facility information. (PM-JAY Insights)
Important: Don't assume that every hospital accepts an Ayushman card simply because it is a large or well-known hospital. Verify the hospital's current PM-JAY empanelment and the treatment you need.
What is an Ayushman / PM-JAY empanelled hospital?
An empanelled hospital is a healthcare facility that has been authorised to provide eligible PM-JAY services under the scheme.
The network includes public and private hospitals. The NHA's hospital-management data includes hospital type, state, district, location and empanelment information. (PM-JAY Insights)
If you're planning treatment, the useful question isn't simply:
"Does this hospital accept Ayushman?"
Instead, check:
"Is this hospital currently empanelled for PM-JAY, and does it provide the speciality/package I need?"
How to find a hospitalStart with the official PM-JAY/NHA resources rather than relying on an old WhatsApp list or third-party directory.
The PM-JAY system maintains hospital information including:
- Hospital name
- Hospital ID
- State
- District
- Hospital type
- Empanelment details
- Location
- Contact information
- Contact officer details (PM-JAY Insights)
When searching, narrow the result by your state and district and then verify the hospital's details.
Before choosing a hospital, check these 5 things1. Is it currently empanelled?
Hospital empanelment can change.
Don't rely only on an old list, screenshot or previous experience.
2. Is the required speciality available?
A hospital can be empanelled without every medical speciality or procedure being available under PM-JAY.
3. Is your treatment covered?
PM-JAY works through defined health-benefit packages.
Ask the hospital's Ayushman/PM-JAY help desk whether your proposed treatment is covered.
4. Is cashless treatment available for your case?
PM-JAY beneficiaries can receive eligible treatment at empanelled hospitals on a cashless basis. NHA guidance also states that beneficiaries can receive treatment outside their home state at empanelled hospitals. (NHA Support Beta)
5. Is the hospital accepting PM-JAY admissions today?
This is especially important for planned admissions.
Call the hospital before travelling.
How to search near your locationYou can use the official PM-JAY hospital-search facility and filter the available hospital information by location.
A practical search sequence is:
PM-JAY hospital search
↓
Select State
↓
Select District
↓
Review empanelled hospitals
↓
Check hospital details
↓
Call the hospital
↓
Confirm speciality/package
↓
Go for admission
Because hospital empanelment and service availability can change, the phone confirmation is useful even after finding a hospital online.
What should you ask the hospital?Before admission, ask the PM-JAY/Ayushman desk:
"Is your hospital currently empanelled under PM-JAY?"
Then ask:
"Is the treatment/procedure I need covered under PM-JAY?"
Also confirm:
- Is the required speciality available?
- Is the doctor/service available?
- Is cashless admission possible?
- What documents should I bring?
- Is pre-authorisation required?
- Is there anything I will have to pay separately?
- Where is the Ayushman help desk?
Write down the name of the person who gives you the information if the admission is planned.
What should you carry?Keep your documents ready before reaching the hospital.
Depending on the verification process, carry:
☐ Ayushman/PM-JAY card or beneficiary details
☐ Aadhaar or another accepted identity document
☐ Mobile phone linked to your records, if applicable
☐ Previous medical reports
☐ Doctor's prescription/referral, where applicable
☐ Diagnostic reports
☐ Existing hospital records
The exact documents required can vary according to the beneficiary-verification and treatment process.
What happens at the hospital?A typical PM-JAY treatment workflow can involve:
Beneficiary arrives
↓
PM-JAY/Ayushman desk
↓
Beneficiary identification
↓
Eligibility verification
↓
Treatment/package assessment
↓
Pre-authorisation where required
↓
Admission
↓
Treatment
↓
Discharge
The hospital processes the beneficiary through the PM-JAY transaction system.
Do you have to pay at an empanelled hospital?For an eligible PM-JAY-covered treatment, the scheme is designed to provide cashless treatment at empanelled hospitals.
However, don't interpret this as meaning every medical expense in every situation is automatically free.
The treatment must fall within the applicable PM-JAY coverage/package rules.
NHA guidance also lists certain exclusions, including outpatient care, cosmetic treatments, organ transplants and fertility treatment. (NHA Support Beta)
Ask the hospital to explain any proposed charge before paying.
Be careful about "extra charges"If the hospital says:
"PM-JAY doesn't cover this, so you have to pay."
Ask for clarification.
Specifically ask:
What service is not covered?
Is it outside the approved package?
Is there an optional upgrade?
Is this a separate service?
Can the PM-JAY help desk explain the charge?
Don't make a payment simply because someone says it is required for an Ayushman admission.
Keep receipts for anything you legitimately pay.
What about room upgrades?PM-JAY coverage has specific rules concerning accommodation and treatment packages.
NHA guidance states that if a beneficiary chooses a room upgrade, the treatment expenses may not remain fully covered under PM-JAY. (NHA Support Beta)
So before selecting:
- Private room
- Deluxe room
- Suite
- Room upgrade
ask the hospital whether doing so will affect PM-JAY coverage.
Can you use PM-JAY outside your home state?Yes.
NHA guidance states that a PM-JAY beneficiary can receive treatment outside their home state at an empanelled hospital, with the home state bearing the treatment expenses under the scheme's arrangements. (NHA Support Beta)
This is particularly useful if:
- You are travelling
- You work in another state
- A specialised hospital is located elsewhere
- You are temporarily staying outside your home state
But still verify that the hospital is empanelled and that the required treatment is covered.
What if it is an emergency?Don't delay emergency medical treatment simply because you are worried about completing paperwork.
NHA guidance specifically addresses emergency situations where a beneficiary may be unable to provide acceptable identification immediately. It describes a process involving the call centre and a Telephonic Patient Identification Number (TPIN) in applicable cases. (NHA Support Beta)
In an emergency:
Get medical attention first.
Then ask the hospital's Ayushman desk to initiate the applicable PM-JAY verification process.
What if the hospital says there is no internet?NHA's guidance also provides procedures for hospitals operating in poor-connectivity or no-connectivity situations. The hospital can contact the central helpline and use the prescribed verification process. (NHA Support Beta)
So a temporary connectivity problem should not automatically be treated as proof that PM-JAY cannot be used.
Ask the hospital's PM-JAY desk what offline procedure applies.
What if the hospital refuses PM-JAY treatment?First ask the hospital to explain the reason.
Possible questions:
- Is the hospital currently empanelled?
- Is this particular speciality covered?
- Is this procedure covered?
- Is the package available at this facility?
- Is pre-authorisation pending?
- Is there a technical/verification issue?
If you believe there is a genuine PM-JAY service issue, use the official NHA grievance mechanism rather than relying on an informal complaint.
Keep:
- Hospital name
- Date and time
- Patient/beneficiary details
- PM-JAY/Ayushman information
- Doctor/department
- Description of the issue
- Any receipts or documents
PM-JAY is not a general-purpose health-insurance card for every consultation.
NHA's FAQ explicitly lists outpatient care among services excluded from PM-JAY. (NHA Support Beta)
Therefore, before travelling to a hospital for a routine consultation, check whether the service you're seeking falls within PM-JAY's covered treatment packages.
A simple hospital-verification checklistBefore admission:
Hospital
☐ Found through an official PM-JAY/NHA source
☐ Current empanelment verified
☐ Correct district/location
☐ PM-JAY desk confirmed
Treatment
☐ Required speciality available
☐ Procedure/package checked
☐ Cashless eligibility confirmed
☐ Pre-authorisation requirement understood
Documents
☐ Ayushman/beneficiary details
☐ Identity document
☐ Medical reports
☐ Prescription/referral if applicable
☐ Previous hospital records
At admission
☐ Ask for the PM-JAY/Ayushman desk
☐ Confirm what is covered
☐ Ask before accepting a room upgrade
☐ Ask before paying any additional amount
☐ Keep receipts and documents
Family checklist before planned admissionIf you're arranging treatment for a parent, spouse or child, do this before leaving home:
1. Search the hospital
↓
2. Verify current empanelment
↓
3. Call the hospital
↓
4. Confirm the speciality
↓
5. Confirm the treatment/package
↓
6. Ask what documents are needed
↓
7. Carry the Ayushman/beneficiary information
↓
8. Keep medical records ready
↓
9. Save the hospital's PM-JAY desk number
This can prevent a situation where the family reaches a hospital only to discover that the required treatment isn't available under the scheme there.
What if you don't know whether you are eligible?Don't assume that possession or absence of a physical card alone settles the question.
Use the official PM-JAY beneficiary-verification route or contact the authorised help desk.
The hospital's PM-JAY desk can also guide you through the beneficiary verification process.
Don't rely on random hospital listsHospital lists circulated on:
- Telegram
- Blogs
- Old PDFs
- Unofficial websites
may be outdated.
Hospital empanelment and available services can change.
Use the official PM-JAY/NHA information and then confirm directly with the hospital before planned admission.
Your 2-minute pre-admission checkBefore leaving for the hospital, ask:
1. Is this hospital currently PM-JAY empanelled?
2. Is my required treatment covered here?
3. Can I receive it cashlessly under PM-JAY?
If the answer to any of these is unclear, call the hospital's Ayushman desk or PM-JAY support before travelling.
Bottom line
An Ayushman card does not mean every hospital or every treatment is automatically covered.
For planned treatment, use the official PM-JAY hospital information to identify an empanelled facility, then confirm the hospital, speciality, treatment package and admission process directly with its Ayushman/PM-JAY desk.
For treatment outside your home state, NHA states that eligible beneficiaries can receive care at empanelled hospitals under the scheme's portability arrangements. (NHA Support Beta)
And in an emergency, don't delay urgent medical care because of paperwork; ask the hospital to follow the applicable PM-JAY emergency verification process. (NHA Support Beta)
Official resources
National Health Authority — PM-JAY
Helpline: NHA's PM-JAY support material lists 14555 for beneficiary assistance; hospitals also have a separate technical helpline. Verify the current contact details on the official PM-JAY/NHA portal before calling.
Hospital empanelment, package availability and scheme rules can change. Verify the current status and treatment coverage before a planned admission.