The two items included in the Ayushman Bharat Health scheme, the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) and the Ayushman Bharat Card, have clearly defined roles in ensuring appropriate coverage to target beneficiaries in India.
The Ayushman Bharat Card is meant for the provision of health insurance plans for those citizens who fall within certain criteria. Meanwhile, the ABHA account is concerned with patient records. Being aware of the difference between the two could prove beneficial in choosing appropriate health insurance plans.
What is the Difference Between Ayushman Bharat Health Account and Ayushman Bharat Card?
Ayushman Bharat Health Account and Ayushman Bharat Card are both critical aspects of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, which is striving to improve access and reduce the costs of healthcare for Indians. Hence, the two terminologies are used interchangeably quite often even though they have different roles and benefits that are appropriate for different actors in the health system.
The Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) is a digital tool used to keep an individual’s health records, more specifically, their health summary details. This account helps people store and access their health information and use it whenever and where needed. This system assigns each user a unique identification number and clusters all users’ medical records, including their medical history, medicines prescribed, lab results, treatment details, etc, in one digital health ID number referred to as ABHA.
ABHA is useful, especially during health emergencies, when there is an urgent need to access patient history as delays may cause serious problems. It also reduces excess paperwork and errors in healthcare management. There are benefits to using the Ayushman Bharat Health Account as far as the management of patients is concerned, but this particular account does not provide any form of coverage when treating a patient.
The Ayushman Bharat Card is also referred to as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana Card. This card offers health insurance to underprivileged Indian families. This card facilitates covered families to obtain cashless treatment at hospitals included in the scheme, including secondary and tertiary healthcare services.
Under the scheme, the health coverage offered is up to INR 5 lakh per household per year. This amount pays for expenses by a significant margin for those who are unable to pay for other expensive medical treatments.
If we talk about the ABHA Card vs Ayushman Bharat Card, certain differences should be drawn while noting one does not necessarily overlap with the other. It is only that they are devised to work hand-in-hand as opposed to one replacing the other. The ABHA vs Ayushman Card debate is neither focused on choosing one over the other nor on how they can be used to improve healthcare accessibility.
While ABHA intends to manage the digital aspect of the healthcare system, the primary focus of the Ayushman Bharat Card is to provide coverage through health insurance plans.
Conclusion
The Ayushman Bharat Health Account as well as the Ayushman Bharat Card, have several distinctive features for which proper knowledge is required to derive the benefits. While ABHA serves the purpose of improving health digitally, the Ayushman Bharat Card provides basic financial protection. To sum up, they help in ensuring healthcare is made universal and affordable in India.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for educational purposes only. Please consult a medical or nutrition professional before making any significant changes in your daily diet. Relying on any information provided in this blog is solely at your own risk, and ICICI Lombard is not responsible for any impact or consequences resulting from the use of the information shared.
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