Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) is set to become one of India’s most significant digital healthcare reforms, much like how UPI transformed digital payments. Launched by the National Health Authority (NHA), ABHA introduces a fully digitised, technology-led framework aimed at streamlining and modernising the country’s healthcare ecosystem. In this guide, we’ll explore what an ABHA card is, how to register and download it, the key benefits it offers, and everything else you need to know about this landmark initiative.
ABHA card health ID: Overview
Here is a quick look at the detail of ABHA health card.
Features |
Details |
Scheme |
Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) |
Benefit |
Digital health account |
Launched on |
September 27, 2021 |
Code details |
14-digit identification number |
Launched by |
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare |
Application fee |
NIL |
Online access |
App: NDHM Health Records Website: https://healthid.ndhm.gov.in/ |
Documents required |
Aadhaar card, driving licence |
What is an ABHA card?
The ABHA card (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) is a digital health ID with a unique 14-digit number, designed to streamline healthcare access in India. As part of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the ABHA health card allows you to securely store and share your medical records with healthcare providers across the country.
What is the meaning of ABHA?
ABHA, or Ayushman Bharat Health Account, is a unique health ID created under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. The ABHA card serves as a digital health record that consolidates an individual's medical history, enabling easy access to healthcare services. This ABHA health card allows users to seamlessly share their health data with healthcare providers, ensuring better coordination and personalised care. By streamlining healthcare processes, ABHA aims to improve the overall health infrastructure in India, making quality healthcare more accessible and efficient for all citizens.
Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY expands to cover seniors over 70
The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) has recently expanded its coverage to include senior citizens above 70 years of age, ensuring greater healthcare protection for India’s ageing population. This enhancement allows elderly beneficiaries to access cashless treatment for major illnesses, surgeries, and hospitalisation across empanelled hospitals. With rising medical needs among seniors, this expansion strengthens financial security and improves access to quality healthcare for vulnerable age groups.
Who should create an ABHA Card Health Account?
Creating an ABHA card is beneficial for everyone seeking accessible healthcare. Individuals with chronic illnesses, frequent medical needs, or those looking to streamline their healthcare experience can particularly benefit from having an ABHA card.
- Unlock the early enrolment advantage for better health: By creating an ABHA card early, individuals can enjoy timely access to healthcare services, ensuring they receive the necessary care before issues escalate. This proactive approach enhances health management and improves long-term outcomes.
- Adopt digital innovation for seamless healthcare: The ABHA card integrates digital technology into healthcare, making it easier for users to access their medical records, consult with healthcare providers, and manage appointments. This innovation streamlines the healthcare journey, enhancing efficiency.
- Get ready for future healthcare benefits: Having an ABHA card prepares individuals for future healthcare advancements. It facilitates participation in emerging healthcare programs and technologies, ensuring users remain at the forefront of healthcare innovations and improvements.
- Integrated hospital experience: The ABHA card enables a cohesive hospital experience by linking patient data across various healthcare facilities. This integration allows healthcare providers to access comprehensive medical histories, leading to better-informed decisions and improved patient care.
ABHA card: Revolutionizing digital healthcare in India
The Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA Health Card) is a key component of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in September 2021. Its goal is to create a centralized repository to store the medical history of Indian citizens, streamlining the process of tracking and sharing health records with clinics and hospitals. Additionally, the ABHA card allows users to link their health insurance details, making it easier to access and manage insurance benefits along with their medical records. Develop a digital backbone for India’s integrated health infrastructure.
- Facilitate seamless sharing of medical information across healthcare providers.
- ABHA facilitates online health account registration, promoting digital technologies for medical services and streamlining various healthcare transactions for users.
- Bridge the gap between different stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem.
- Promote efficient healthcare delivery through digital channels, ensuring better coordination.
- ABHA offers a health management platform that integrates individuals' health data with digital health systems, ensuring secure storage and easy access to medical records for personalised care.
- ABHA Card enhances telemedicine and remote consultations by enabling online payments for telehealth services, facilitating virtual doctor visits and improving remote healthcare delivery.
- ABHA supports the Digital Health Mission by enhancing affordability and accessibility to quality healthcare through digital means, bridging gaps between individuals and providers, especially in remote areas with limited healthcare access.
Why create your ABHA ID?
Creating your ABHA Health ID is essential for becoming part of India’s rapidly advancing digital healthcare ecosystem. It offers a seamless way to store and share your medical records with hospitals, clinics, and doctors, ensuring faster diagnosis and personalized treatment.
Why choose an ABHA card for digital healthcare?
- Centralized health records: Your ABHA ID securely stores your medical history, prescriptions, and test reports in one place.
- Effortless access to healthcare: Doctors can quickly retrieve your medical details, reducing paperwork and wait times.
- Integrated health insurance: Link your health insurance details for easy access to policy benefits and cashless treatments.
- Government healthcare benefits: Use your ABHA Health Card to enroll in public health programs and avail of government healthcare schemes.
By choosing an ABHA card, you ensure efficient, paperless, and connected healthcare, making medical visits more convenient and effective.
Key benefits of ABHA Health ID Card
Exploring the ABHA card benefits help you understand how beneficial this health ID can be for maintaining your health records. Below are the key benefits of Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) Card:
- Convenient access to monitoring health records: The ABHA Health ID Card centralises your health records, allowing you to access and monitor your medical history effortlessly. This digital consolidation ensures that all your health information is readily available, facilitating better personal health management and informed decision-making.
- Seamless access to healthcare facilities: With an ABHA Health ID, you can seamlessly access healthcare services across various facilities nationwide. This unified system enables healthcare providers to retrieve your medical records swiftly, ensuring timely and efficient care, regardless of your location.
- Easy access to Healthcare Professional Registry (HPR): The ABHA Health ID Card provides easy access to the Healthcare Professional Registry (HPR), allowing you to connect with verified healthcare professionals. This feature ensures that you receive care from qualified practitioners and facilitates the integration of your health insurance details, simplifying the process of accessing insured medical services.
- AYUSH healthcare services accessible: The ABHA Health ID Card extends accessibility to AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy) healthcare services. This inclusion promotes holistic health options, enabling you to explore and benefit from traditional and alternative medicine practices alongside conventional treatments.
- Digital health records security: Security of your digital health records is a paramount feature of the ABHA Health ID Card. The system employs robust encryption and consent-based data sharing protocols, ensuring that your medical information remains confidential and protected against unauthorised access.
- Effortless registration of Personal Health Records (PHR): The ABHA Health ID Card simplifies the registration and maintenance of your Personal Health Records (PHR). This streamlined process allows for the efficient updating and retrieval of your health data, supporting continuous and coordinated care.
- Creates a unique identity: Each ABHA Health ID Card provides a unique 14-digit identification number, establishing a singular identity within the healthcare system. This unique identifier eliminates confusion arising from multiple records, ensuring accurate and consistent medical documentation.
- Digitalised medical records: The ABHA Health ID Card facilitates the digitalisation of your medical records, reducing reliance on physical documents. This transition to digital records enhances accessibility, reduces the risk of loss or damage, and supports environmentally friendly practices.
- Flexibility to activate or deactivate: The ABHA Health ID system offers the flexibility to activate or deactivate your account as needed. This control ensures that you can manage your participation in the digital health ecosystem according to your preferences and circumstances.
- Option to add a beneficiary: The ABHA Health ID Card allows you to add beneficiaries, facilitating the management of health records for dependents or family members. This feature supports coordinated care and simplifies the oversight of your loved ones' health information.
- Access to Health Facility Registry: With the ABHA Health ID Card, you gain access to the Health Facility Registry, a comprehensive database of healthcare facilities. This access enables you to locate and choose appropriate healthcare services, enhancing your ability to make informed decisions about your care.
- Access to alternative medicine: The ABHA Health ID Card's integration with AYUSH services provides access to alternative medicine options. This inclusion allows you to explore and incorporate traditional healing practices into your healthcare regimen, supporting a holistic approach to health.
- Consent-driven data sharing: The ABHA Health ID system operates on a consent-driven data-sharing model, ensuring that your health information is shared only with your explicit approval. This approach empowers you to control your medical data, maintaining privacy and trust in the healthcare system.
- Allows to add a nominee: The ABHA Health ID Card allows you to designate a nominee, ensuring that your health records can be accessed by a trusted individual in situations where you are unable to manage your healthcare decisions. This provision supports continuity of care and safeguards your health interests.
- Faster insurance claim processing: The integration of health insurance details with your ABHA Health ID facilitates faster and more efficient processing of insurance claims. This seamless connection reduces administrative burdens and expedites access to entitled benefits.
- Better medical treatment: By providing healthcare professionals with comprehensive and accurate medical histories, the ABHA Health ID Card enhances the quality of medical treatment. This access to detailed information supports precise diagnoses and personalised treatment plans.
- Child ABHA Card: The ABHA Health ID system extends to children, allowing for the creation of Child ABHA Cards. This early integration ensures that a child's medical records are systematically documented from a young age, supporting continuous and informed paediatric care.
- Cashless claims approval: Waiting for claim approvals can often be time-consuming. When you link your health insurance policy with your ABHA ID, the process becomes significantly faster. Hospitals can quickly access your policy information, helping speed up cashless claim approvals and ensuring a smoother, more seamless treatment experience for patients.