Best National Health Insurance Schemes in India 2025

National Health Insurance Schemes are health insurance policies designed by the Indian government to enhance healthcare services for its citizens.

The Government of India, with the help of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and the National Knowledge Commission, has set up the National Health Portal to provide accurate healthcare information to its citizens. Multiple health insurance schemes serve the diverse needs of different sections of Indian society.

Let us learn more about National Health Insurance Schemes in detail.

Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY)

Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) was launched by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, to provide health insurance coverage and financial protection against medical expenses due to hospitalization for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. Beneficiaries under this scheme receive hospitalization coverage (up to Rs. 30,000) for most diseases requiring hospitalization.

Key Highlights
- Beneficiary: RSBY allows policyholders to choose between public and private hospitals.
- Insurers: The government pays the premium to insurance companies on behalf of each BPL household registered under RSBY, ensuring better enrollment coverage for beneficiaries.
- Hospitals: Both private and public hospitals receive incentives to provide treatments to policyholders. Insurance companies supervise the process to prevent fraudulent or unnecessary incidents.
- Intermediaries: Paid intermediaries like NGOs and MFIs provide assistance to BPL households.
- Information Technology (IT) Intensive: Under this scheme, every beneficiary family receives a biometric smart card with their fingerprints and photographs. All empanelled hospitals are IT-enabled, ensuring a smooth flow of information.
- Safe: The use of a biometric smart card and a key management system makes this scheme safer and more seamless.
- Portability: Under the RSBY scheme, beneficiaries enrolled in a particular district can use their smart card in any RSBY-authorized network hospital across India, making it beneficial for migrants.
- Cashless and Paperless Transactions: The insured can avail cashless treatment in any network hospital across India by carrying their smart card. Claims can be settled and payments can be made online.
Know More About: Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY)
Employees’ State Insurance Scheme (ESIS)

Employees’ State Insurance Scheme (ESIS) is a multidimensional social security system of the Government of India, designed for working-class individuals and their dependents to provide them with socio-economic protection. This scheme not only provides full medical care to the insured and their dependents (from day one of insurable employment) but also allows the insured to avail various cash benefits in cases of physical distress due to temporary/permanent disablement, sickness, and more.

Key Highlights
- The Act applies to non-seasonal factories employing 10 or more individuals.
- The scheme has been extended to hotels, shops, restaurants, cinemas (including preview theatres), road-motor transport undertakings, and newspaper establishments employing 20 or more individuals.
- This scheme has been extended to private medical and educational institutions employing 20 or more individuals in certain states/UTs.
- The ESI Scheme is being implemented area-wise in stages. It has already been implemented in all states except Sikkim, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Mizoram, and two Union Territories: Delhi and Chandigarh.
Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS)

The Central Government Health Scheme, started in New Delhi in 1954, is a comprehensive healthcare scheme tailored for Central Government employees and their dependents who reside in CGHS-covered cities. Medical services are provided through Wellness Centers (previously known as CGHS Dispensaries) or polyclinics, covering Allopathic, Yoga, Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and Homeopathic methods of treatment.

Main Components of the Scheme:
- Dispensary services.
- Domiciliary care.
- F.W. and M.C.H. services.
- Specialist consultation facility at dispensaries, polyclinics, and hospitals.
- Facilities for X-ray, ECG, and laboratory examinations.
- Hospitalization.
- Organization for the purchase, storage, distribution, and supply of medicines and other requirements.
- Health education to the beneficiaries.
Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana (AABY)

Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana, launched on October 2, 2007, is a social security scheme for rural landless households. It aims to provide coverage to the head of the family or one earning member, aged 18 to 59 years. The premium of Rs. 200 per person per annum is shared equally by the State and Central Governments of India.

Key Highlights
- A compensation of Rs. 30,000 is provided in case of natural death.
- Rs. 75,000 is provided in case of accidental death or permanent disability due to an accident (loss of two eyes or two limbs).
- A compensation of Rs. 37,500 is provided in case of partial permanent disability due to an accident (loss of one eye or one limb).
- A separate fund, the Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana Premium Fund, has been set up by the Central Government to pay the government contribution and is maintained by LIC (Life Insurance Corporation).
- A free add-on scholarship benefit for children is also available with this scheme.
Janashree Bima Yojana (JBY)

Janashree Bima Yojana (JBY) was launched on August 10, 2000, replacing the Social Security Group Insurance Scheme (SSGIS) and Rural Group Life Insurance Scheme (RGLIS). A total of 45 occupational groups are covered.

JBY provides life insurance protection to individuals aged 18 to 59 years who belong to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families or families marginally above the poverty line and are members of the 45 recognized occupational groups.

Note: Janashree Bima Yojana and Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana were merged into one scheme, Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana, effective January 1, 2013.
Universal Health Insurance Scheme (UHIS)

Four public sector general health insurance companies manage and implement this scheme, aiming to compensate poor families for their medical expenses.

Under this scheme, the insured can receive compensation of Rs. 30,000 for hospitalization, distributed among the entire family. Rs. 25,000 is reimbursed to the earning head of the family in case of accidental death. Additionally, compensation of Rs. 50 per day (up to 15 days) is provided to the earning head of the family for loss of earning.

The premium value varies according to family size. The premium rate for this scheme is Rs. 200 for an individual, Rs. 300 for a family of five, and Rs. 400 for a family of seven.
Ayushman Bharat

As recommended by the National Health Policy 2017, Ayushman Bharat, a flagship scheme of the Government of India, was launched to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC). This scheme is designed to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and its underlying commitment to "leave no one behind."

It provides need-based, comprehensive healthcare services and consists of two interrelated components: Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).

Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs)

In February 2018, the Government of India announced the formation of 1,50,000 Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) by modifying existing sub-centers and Primary Health Centres. These centers aim to provide Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC), bridging the gap between healthcare services and households.

Benefits of HWCs:
- It covers non-communicable diseases, maternal and child health services, including free diagnostic services and essential drugs.
- It aims to deliver an expanded range of services to address primary healthcare needs, thereby expanding access, universality, and equity.
- It also emphasizes health promotion and prevention.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)

Launched in September 2018, Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY (previously known as the National Health Protection Scheme) is the world's largest health assurance scheme. It provides a health cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization, covering 10.74 crore poor families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries) that form the bottom 40% of the Indian population. PM-JAY is fully funded by the government, with implementation costs shared between the Central and State Governments.

Key benefits of PM-JAY:

The scheme covers the following expenses:
- Medical examination, treatment, and consultation.
- Pre-hospitalization expenses.
- Medicines and medical consumables.
- Non-intensive and intensive care services.
- Diagnostic and laboratory investigations.
- Medical implantation services (if required).
- Accommodation benefits.
- Food services.
- Complications arising during treatment.
- Post-hospitalization follow-up care for up to 15 days.

These 7 National Health Insurance Schemes have been designed by the Indian government for the betterment of its citizens. Individuals can choose the best among them to suit their family’s healthcare needs.