What Healthcare Is Free in India
People pay for tests and treatment they are entitled to for free, simply because nobody told them. This is what you can actually use.
Tuberculosis testing and treatment, malaria testing and treatment, and dengue testing are free for everyone at government health facilities. Eligible families get hospital cover up to ₹5 lakh a year under Ayushman Bharat. Anyone can buy cheaper generic medicines at Jan Aushadhi Kendras, and no hospital may refuse emergency treatment because you cannot pay.
Why we wrote this page
Most health websites tell you what a disease is. Very few tell you what it costs, or what the government already provides at no charge. Families spend money they do not have on treatment that is free two kilometres away. That gap is what this page exists to close.
Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY
- What it covers
- Hospital treatment up to ₹5 lakh per family per year, at empanelled government and private hospitals.
- Who can use it
- Families identified as eligible under the scheme's criteria. Several states have widened eligibility with their own schemes.
- How to use it
- Check your eligibility on the PM-JAY website or at any empanelled hospital's Ayushman Mitra desk, and get your Ayushman card made. Carry it and an ID when you go.
- Covers hospitalisation, not day-to-day outpatient medicines
- Cashless at empanelled hospitals — you should not be asked to pay and claim later
- Covers pre-existing conditions from day one
- Includes costs for the days before and after admission, within the scheme's rules
National TB Elimination Programme
- What it covers
- Everything for tuberculosis: testing, rapid molecular tests, X-rays, all medicines and follow-up — completely free.
- Who can use it
- Anyone, at any government health facility. No eligibility test.
- How to use it
- Go to any government hospital or primary health centre with a cough lasting more than two weeks and ask for a sputum test.
- Free for everyone, regardless of income
- Includes drug-resistant TB treatment, which is extremely expensive privately
- Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana pays direct financial support for nutrition during treatment
- Private doctors can also notify your case so you receive the free medicines
Vector Borne Disease Programme
- What it covers
- Free testing and treatment for malaria, and free testing for dengue and chikungunya at government facilities.
- Who can use it
- Anyone, at any government health facility.
- How to use it
- Go to a government hospital or primary health centre with fever. In many areas ASHA workers can test for malaria in your own village.
- Malaria rapid tests give a result in about 20 minutes
- Antimalarial medicines are provided free, including the extra course needed to prevent vivax malaria relapsing
- Dengue testing is free at sentinel surveillance hospitals
Jan Aushadhi Kendras
- What it covers
- Quality-tested generic medicines at substantially lower prices than branded equivalents.
- Who can use it
- Anyone. No card, no eligibility check — just walk in.
- How to use it
- Find your nearest Kendra on the Janaushadhi website. Take your prescription. If it names only brands, ask the pharmacist which generic contains the same molecule.
- The medicine is the same active ingredient at the same strength
- Especially worthwhile for medicines you take daily for years
- Ask your doctor to write generic names on your prescription to make this easier
- For a few medicines — some thyroid, epilepsy and blood-thinning ones — check with your doctor before switching brand
Ayushman Arogya Mandir (Health and Wellness Centres)
- What it covers
- Free screening and basic care close to home — blood pressure, blood sugar, common illnesses, maternal and child health, and some free medicines.
- Who can use it
- Anyone in the area served by the centre.
- How to use it
- Visit your local centre. No appointment or card is needed for basic services.
- A good first stop for blood pressure and blood sugar checks
- Provides several common medicines free
- Refers you onward to a district hospital when needed
Source: Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, Ministry of Health
Emergency care and ambulance
- What it covers
- Emergency ambulance services, free in most states on 108. The national emergency number is 112.
- Who can use it
- Anyone, in an emergency.
- How to use it
- Call 112, or 108 for an ambulance in most states.
- No hospital may refuse emergency treatment to save a life, regardless of your ability to pay
- This applies to private hospitals too, under Supreme Court rulings
- Take any medicine packets with you if poisoning or overdose is suspected
Three habits that cut your medical bills
Ask your doctor to write generic names. The same molecule is sold under many brand names at very different prices. A prescription written generically lets any pharmacist give you the cheaper equivalent. See generic medicines explained.
Ask what each test is for before agreeing to it. Bundled “full body checkup” packages include many tests that are not useful in someone without symptoms, and abnormal-but-harmless results lead to more tests and more spending. See which health checks you actually need.
Go to a government facility first for anything covered by a programme. For TB and malaria in particular, the government treatment is the same internationally recommended treatment — there is no medical advantage to paying for it.
Frequently asked questions
Is TB treatment really free in India?
Yes, completely. Testing, X-rays, all medicines and follow-up are free at government health facilities under the National TB Elimination Programme, for everyone regardless of income. People on treatment also receive financial support for nutrition through the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana.
What does Ayushman Bharat actually cover?
It covers hospital treatment up to ₹5 lakh per family per year at empanelled hospitals, including pre-existing conditions from day one. It covers admissions rather than day-to-day outpatient medicines, and it should be cashless — you should not be asked to pay and claim afterwards.
Can a private hospital refuse emergency treatment if I cannot pay?
No. Under Supreme Court rulings, no hospital — government or private — may refuse emergency treatment needed to save a life on the grounds that you cannot pay. Get the person to the nearest hospital first.
Are Jan Aushadhi medicines lower quality?
No. They contain the same active ingredient at the same strength and must meet the same quality standards. They cost less because the manufacturer did not pay to develop the medicine originally. For a few medicines — some thyroid, epilepsy and blood-thinning ones — check with your doctor before switching brand.
Do I need a card to use a government hospital?
Not for basic services. You can walk into a government hospital or health and wellness centre for a consultation, blood pressure check or fever without any card. An Ayushman card is needed to use the PM-JAY hospitalisation cover.
Help us keep this accurate
Scheme rules and eligibility change. If you find something out of date here, please tell us — this is the page where being wrong costs people money.