Government Schemes for Sick and Poor Patients in India 2026–27: State-Wise Guide to Free Treatment, Health Insurance, Cancer, Dialysis & Medical Financial Help

Last verified: August 2026

Getting seriously ill can destroy a family's finances.

A poor family may have to choose between:

Buying medicines
Paying hospital bills
Paying rent
Buying food
Sending children to school
Continuing treatment

But before borrowing money, selling jewellery or taking a high-interest loan, patients should check whether government-funded healthcare or financial assistance is available.

India's government healthcare system includes several different forms of support:

Free or subsidised primary healthcare
PM-JAY health coverage
State health insurance schemes
Financial assistance for serious diseases
Cancer treatment assistance
Free dialysis for eligible poor patients
Free diagnostics and essential medicines at public facilities
Maternal and child healthcare
Mental-health services
Disability-related healthcare
Rare-disease assistance
Palliative care
State illness funds
Hospital-based financial assistance

The important thing is to identify the right scheme for the patient's illness and financial situation.

🚨 If You Need Medical Treatment Now

If someone has a life-threatening emergency, do not wait for a government scheme application.

Go to the nearest emergency department or call the appropriate emergency service.

Government schemes are for financial/healthcare assistance; they should not delay emergency treatment.

1. Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY

For eligible poor and vulnerable families, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) provides health coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for eligible secondary and tertiary hospitalisation.

The benefit can cover expenses such as:

Hospital treatment
Surgery
Medicines and consumables
Diagnostics
ICU/non-ICU care
Accommodation
Food during treatment
Pre-hospitalisation expenses
Post-hospitalisation follow-up for the specified period

The official PM-JAY information states that there is no cap on family size or age of members, and pre-existing diseases are covered from the first day for eligible beneficiaries.

Important

₹5 lakh is not cash deposited into the patient's bank account.

It is health coverage for eligible treatment under the scheme.

2. Ayushman Arogya Mandirs

Poor patients should not wait until an illness becomes severe.

Ayushman Arogya Mandirs provide comprehensive primary healthcare closer to people's homes.

The current government portal describes services including:

Screening for diseases
Non-communicable disease care
Essential medicines
Diagnostics
Mental-health care
Oral healthcare
Eye care
ENT care
Palliative care
Rehabilitation
Teleconsultation

The official portal describes primary healthcare through these centres as free to users.

As of August 2026, the official portal reports more than 1.86 lakh functional Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.

This is especially important for poor patients.

You don't necessarily need to start at a large private hospital.

Start at the appropriate government primary-health facility and ask whether you need referral to a higher-level hospital.

3. Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi — RAN

This is one of the most important schemes for poor patients with serious, life-threatening diseases.

The current Ministry of Health guidelines say RAN provides financial assistance to people below the poverty line suffering from specified life-threatening diseases for treatment at government hospitals/institutes.

Depending on the circumstances, assistance can be processed through designated government hospitals or the Ministry.

Patients may need:

Application in the prescribed format
Treating doctor's certification
Medical Superintendent's countersignature
Income certificate
Ration card

The Ministry's current instructions also describe Revolving Funds at designated Central Government hospitals/institutes.

Very important

RAN is not a general reimbursement scheme for every medical bill.

The current guidelines state that reimbursement of expenditure already incurred is not permissible, and treatment must meet the scheme's eligibility requirements.

So don't wait until you have already borrowed a huge amount.

Ask the government hospital's medical-social-work/assistance section before treatment whenever possible.

4. Health Minister's Cancer Patient Fund — HMCPF

Cancer can be financially devastating.

Poor cancer patients should specifically ask about the Health Minister's Cancer Patient Fund (HMCPF) under Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi.

The current Ministry guidelines provide financial assistance for eligible patients living below the poverty line and suffering from cancer at designated Regional Cancer Centres.

The current guidelines provide assistance of up to:

₹2 lakh

and up to:

₹5 lakh in emergency cases

through the relevant Regional Cancer Centre's revolving fund, with larger cases referred to the Ministry according to the applicable procedure.

Don't assume every cancer patient automatically qualifies.

Eligibility and treatment-centre requirements apply.

5. Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme

Kidney failure can require repeated dialysis, making treatment unaffordable for poor families.

The Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP) was launched under the National Health Mission to make dialysis accessible and affordable to poor patients.

The official programme states that free dialysis services are provided to BPL patients, while subsidised services may be available to others depending on the programme/state arrangements.

As of June 2026, the official portal reports:

36 States/UTs
751 districts
1,856 centres
13,535 haemodialysis machines
More than 32 lakh patients who have availed dialysis services

If you need dialysis

Ask the nearest government/district hospital:

Is PMNDP dialysis available here?

Don't assume that private dialysis is your only option.

6. State Illness Assistance Funds

This is something many patients miss.

The Central Government's health-grants division also handles State Illness Assistance Funds (SIAF).

Where available, poor patients should ask their state's Health Department or government hospital:

Does my state have an illness assistance fund for this treatment?

This can sometimes be more relevant than applying directly to a Central scheme.

7. Rare Diseases

Patients with rare diseases should not assume that ordinary health insurance is their only option.

The Ministry of Health's grants division also handles the National Policy for Rare Diseases and related financial-assistance work.

Patients should approach:

Government medical colleges
Designated Centres of Excellence
State health authorities
Relevant rare-disease programme authorities

and ask whether their condition qualifies under the current policy and financial-assistance provisions.

8. Children With Serious Illnesses

Parents of sick children should investigate Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK).

RBSK screens children from birth to 18 years for:

Birth defects
Diseases
Deficiencies
Developmental delays

The programme covers 32 common health conditions and provides early intervention, follow-up and free treatment for eligible identified conditions, including surgeries at tertiary level.

This can be extremely valuable for poor families.

Ask:

Anganwadi + school health programme + government hospital

whether the child can be screened through RBSK.

9. Mental Healthcare

A person who is sick is not necessarily sick only physically.

Government healthcare programmes also include mental-health services.

Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are designed to include mental-health services as part of comprehensive primary healthcare.

A person struggling with:

Depression
Anxiety
Severe stress
Substance-use problems
Other mental-health difficulties

should ask the nearest government health facility about available mental-health services and referral.

10. Palliative Care

For people living with serious or advanced illnesses, treatment isn't always about curing the disease.

Sometimes the goal is:

comfort + pain control + dignity + family support

Ayushman Arogya Mandirs include palliative-care services within their comprehensive healthcare approach.

Ask your government hospital about:

Pain management
Palliative care
Home-based support
Referral to specialist services

11. Chronic Diseases

People living with:

Diabetes
Hypertension
Heart disease
Chronic respiratory disease
Kidney disease
Cancer

should not wait until they become seriously ill.

Ayushman Arogya Mandirs provide screening and management for non-communicable diseases and access to essential medicines and diagnostics as part of primary healthcare.

State-Wise Guide for Sick and Poor Patients

The most important rule:

Check both Central Government schemes and your State's health schemes.

Your state may have its own health insurance or illness-assistance programme.

1. Andhra Pradesh

Patients should check:

PM-JAY where applicable
State health insurance/health assistance
Government hospitals
State illness assistance
Cancer assistance
Dialysis services
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs
RBSK for children
Disability-related healthcare
District health authorities

Ask the government hospital:

“Is my treatment covered under any state or Central health scheme?”

2. Arunachal Pradesh

Check:

PM-JAY eligibility
State healthcare schemes
Government hospitals
District health authorities
Dialysis services
Cancer treatment
RAN where applicable
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs
RBSK
Tribal-area healthcare services

3. Assam

Check:

PM-JAY
State health insurance/assistance
Government hospitals
Dialysis
Cancer treatment
State illness assistance
RAN
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs
RBSK

4. Bihar

Check:

PM-JAY
State health scheme
Government hospitals
Dialysis
Cancer treatment
State illness assistance
RAN
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs
RBSK
Disability healthcare

5. Chhattisgarh

Check:

PM-JAY
State healthcare schemes
Government hospitals
Dialysis
Cancer treatment
Illness assistance
RAN
Primary healthcare
RBSK

6. Goa

Check:

State healthcare programme
PM-JAY where applicable
Government hospitals
Cancer treatment
Dialysis
Primary healthcare
RAN
State financial assistance

7. Gujarat

Check:

State health insurance
PM-JAY
Government hospitals
Cancer assistance
Dialysis
State illness assistance
RAN
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs
RBSK

8. Haryana

Check:

State healthcare scheme
PM-JAY
Government hospitals
Cancer treatment
Dialysis
State illness assistance
RAN
Primary healthcare
RBSK

9. Himachal Pradesh

Check:

State health schemes
PM-JAY
Government hospitals
Dialysis
Cancer care
Illness assistance
RAN
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs
RBSK

People in remote/hilly areas should specifically ask about district hospitals and mobile/outreach healthcare.

10. Jharkhand

Check:

PM-JAY
State healthcare assistance
Government hospitals
Dialysis
Cancer treatment
State illness assistance
RAN
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs
RBSK

11. Karnataka

Patients should check:

State health insurance
PM-JAY
Government hospitals
Cancer treatment
Dialysis
State illness assistance
RAN
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs
RBSK
Disability-related assistance

Don't assume private hospitals are your only option.

12. Kerala

Check:

State health schemes
PM-JAY where applicable
Government hospitals
Cancer care
Dialysis
Palliative care
State illness assistance
RAN
Primary healthcare
RBSK

Kerala patients should also ask local health authorities about palliative and community-based services.

13. Madhya Pradesh

Check:

PM-JAY
State healthcare scheme
Government hospitals
Dialysis
Cancer treatment
State illness assistance
RAN
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs
RBSK

14. Maharashtra

Patients should check:

State health insurance/health assistance
PM-JAY
Government hospitals
Cancer treatment
Dialysis
State illness assistance
RAN
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs
RBSK
Disability-related assistance

Maharashtra patients should ask before paying a large private-hospital bill:

“Is this treatment available through a government scheme at an empanelled hospital?”

That single question can potentially save a family from unnecessary debt.

15. Manipur

Check:

PM-JAY
State health schemes
Government hospitals
Dialysis
Cancer care
RAN
State illness assistance
Primary healthcare
RBSK

16. Meghalaya

Check:

State healthcare
PM-JAY
Government hospitals
Dialysis
Cancer care
RAN
State illness assistance
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs
RBSK

17. Mizoram

Check:

State health schemes
PM-JAY
Government hospitals
Dialysis
Cancer treatment
State illness assistance
RAN
Primary healthcare
RBSK

18. Nagaland

Check:

PM-JAY
State healthcare assistance
Government hospitals
Dialysis
Cancer care
RAN
State illness assistance
Primary healthcare
RBSK

19. Odisha

Check:

State health scheme
PM-JAY where applicable
Government hospitals
Dialysis
Cancer care
State illness assistance
RAN
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs
RBSK

20. Punjab

Check:

State health insurance/assistance
PM-JAY where applicable
Government hospitals
Cancer care
Dialysis
State illness assistance
RAN
Primary healthcare
RBSK

21. Rajasthan

Check:

State health insurance
PM-JAY where applicable
Government hospitals
Cancer care
Dialysis
State illness assistance
RAN
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs
RBSK

22. Sikkim

Check:

State health scheme
PM-JAY
Government hospitals
Cancer treatment
Dialysis
RAN
State illness assistance
Primary healthcare
RBSK

23. Tamil Nadu

Check:

State health insurance
PM-JAY where applicable
Government hospitals
Cancer treatment
Dialysis
State illness assistance
RAN
Primary healthcare
RBSK
Palliative care

24. Telangana

Patients in Telangana should investigate:

State health insurance/financial assistance
PM-JAY where applicable
Government hospitals
Cancer treatment
Dialysis
State illness assistance
RAN
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs
RBSK
Disability-related healthcare

If you have a serious illness

Don't simply ask:

“How much does treatment cost?”

Ask:

“Which government scheme covers this treatment, and which hospital is authorised to provide it?”

That can completely change the financial calculation.

25. Tripura

Check:

PM-JAY
State health assistance
Government hospitals
Dialysis
Cancer care
State illness assistance
RAN
Primary healthcare
RBSK

26. Uttar Pradesh

Check:

State health scheme
PM-JAY
Government hospitals
Cancer treatment
Dialysis
State illness assistance
RAN
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs
RBSK

27. Uttarakhand

Check:

State health insurance
PM-JAY
Government hospitals
Cancer treatment
Dialysis
RAN
State illness assistance
Primary healthcare
RBSK

28. West Bengal

Check:

State health scheme
PM-JAY where applicable
Government hospitals
Cancer treatment
Dialysis
State illness assistance
RAN
Primary healthcare
RBSK

Union Territories

Patients in:

Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Chandigarh
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
Delhi
Jammu & Kashmir
Ladakh
Lakshadweep
Puducherry

should check their UT health department, government hospitals, PM-JAY eligibility where applicable, dialysis services, cancer assistance and Central Government programmes.

If You Have Cancer

Follow this order:

1. Get a diagnosis from an authorised hospital.

2. Ask whether the hospital is covered under your health scheme.

3. Check PM-JAY eligibility.

4. Ask about the Health Minister's Cancer Patient Fund.

5. Ask whether the hospital is a Regional Cancer Centre/authorised treatment centre under the relevant assistance programme.

6. Ask about the State Illness Assistance Fund.

7. Ask the hospital's social-work/financial-assistance department for help.

Do this before paying a huge amount, whenever medically possible.

If You Need Dialysis

Ask the government/district hospital:

“Is PM National Dialysis Programme available here?”

The programme provides free dialysis services to poor/BPL patients through the public-health system and participating arrangements.

Don't assume that repeated dialysis automatically means you have to pay the full private-hospital rate.

If Your Child Is Sick

Ask about:

RBSK

The programme screens children from birth to 18 and provides free treatment/intervention for eligible identified conditions.

Also check:

PM-JAY
State health scheme
Government children's hospital
Mission Vatsalya if the child is vulnerable
Disability programmes
Scholarships if illness/disability affects education

If You Are Poor and Have a Life-Threatening Disease

Ask specifically about:

Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi

The current guidelines limit RAN to eligible people below the poverty line with specified life-threatening diseases and treatment at government hospitals.

Carry:

Income certificate
Ration card
Doctor's treatment estimate
Medical reports
Application signed by treating doctor
Medical Superintendent's certification

The exact requirements should be confirmed with the treating government hospital.

If You Already Borrowed Money for Treatment

This is where people need to be careful.

RAN's current guidelines state that reimbursement of medical expenditure already incurred is not permissible.

So don't assume:

“I'll pay the hospital now and the government will reimburse me later.”

That may not be true.

Ask about assistance before treatment/payment whenever possible.

Documents Every Sick Patient Should Keep

Create one medical-support file containing:

Aadhaar
PAN where applicable
Ration card
Income certificate
Ayushman card if applicable
State health-scheme card
Bank details
Medical reports
Diagnosis
Prescriptions
Doctor's estimate
Hospital admission papers
Treatment estimate
Discharge summaries
Disability certificate where applicable
Caste certificate where relevant
Previous treatment records

Keep photographs/scans of everything.

Don't Fall for Medical Assistance Scams

Be extremely careful if someone says:

“Pay me ₹10,000 and I'll get your government treatment approved.”

“Send me your OTP for Ayushman.”

“The government will deposit ₹5 lakh directly into your account.”

“I can guarantee cancer funding.”

Never give anyone:

OTP
UPI PIN
ATM PIN
Internet-banking password

And remember:

PM-JAY's ₹5 lakh is healthcare coverage, not ₹5 lakh cash.

The Smartest Way to Ask a Government Hospital for Help

Don't simply say:

“I am poor. Please help me.”

Say:

“I have this diagnosis, this treatment has been recommended, my family income is this much, and I want to know whether PM-JAY, RAN, the State Illness Assistance Fund, or another government programme can cover the treatment.”

Take:

medical report + treatment estimate + income proof + ration card + ID

This gives the hospital's welfare/administrative team something concrete to work with.

A Simple Decision Tree

Need ordinary primary healthcare?

Ayushman Arogya Mandir

↓

Need hospitalisation and eligible under PM-JAY?

PM-JAY

↓

Poor + serious/life-threatening disease?

RAN / State Illness Assistance Fund

↓

Cancer?

PM-JAY + HMCPF/RAN + State assistance

↓

Kidney failure/dialysis?

PM-JAY + PM National Dialysis Programme + State assistance

↓

Sick child?

RBSK + PM-JAY + State programmes

↓

Rare disease?

National Policy for Rare Diseases + designated government/approved centres

↓

Chronic disease?

Ayushman Arogya Mandir + government hospital + applicable insurance

The Biggest Mistake Poor Patients Make

They often go directly to a private hospital and ask:

“How much will the treatment cost?”

Instead ask first:

“Is there a government hospital or empanelled hospital where this treatment can be provided under a government scheme?”

For a serious illness, that question can be worth thousands or even lakhs of rupees.

Final Checklist for Sick and Poor Patients

[ ] Get a proper diagnosis.
[ ] Ask the government hospital about available schemes.
[ ] Check PM-JAY eligibility.
[ ] Check your State health scheme.
[ ] Ask about State Illness Assistance Fund.
[ ] Check RAN if the illness is serious/life-threatening and eligibility applies.
[ ] Cancer patients should ask about HMCPF.
[ ] Kidney patients should ask about PM National Dialysis Programme.
[ ] Parents of sick children should ask about RBSK.
[ ] Ask about free/subsidised medicines and diagnostics.
[ ] Keep all medical and financial documents.
[ ] Don't pay agents for guaranteed government assistance.
[ ] Don't borrow heavily until you have checked legitimate government coverage.

Most Important Official Resources

Ayushman Bharat / PM-JAY

National Health Authority

Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

Ayushman Arogya Mandir

Official Government Portal

Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme

Official PMNDP Portal

RBSK — Child Health Screening

Official RBSK Portal

A Message to Families Fighting Serious Illness

If someone in your family is seriously ill and you are poor, don't assume that selling your home, gold or taking a huge private loan is your only option.

Before making a major financial decision:

Check PM-JAY.

Check your state health scheme.

Ask the government hospital about financial assistance.

Ask about RAN.

Cancer patients should ask about HMCPF.

Kidney patients should ask about the National Dialysis Programme.

Parents of sick children should ask about RBSK.

And if the first person you speak to doesn't know, ask for the hospital's social-work, welfare or scheme-implementation desk.

A serious illness is already frightening.

A family should not lose everything financially simply because it did not know that assistance might exist.

*This guide is for information and navigation, not medical or financial advice. Eligibility, treatment packages, hospital empanelment, income criteria and funding rules vary by scheme and can change. Always confirm the current rules with the relevant government hospital, State Health Department or official Central Government portal before relying on a benefit.*

🤲 A Heartfelt Dua for My Beloved Father, Shaik Ahmed