healthcare

PM-JAY, CMCHIS and the 70+ Vay Vandana Card in Tamil Nadu

PM-JAY runs through CMCHIS in Tamil Nadu. Seniors aged 70 and above also have the central Vay Vandana card and a newly announced state scheme. Here is how they fit.

18 October 2026

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70+ in Tamil Nadu? Know your health cover

In Tamil Nadu, Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY does not run as a separate scheme you sign up for. Since September 2018 it has been folded into the state’s Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS), so a CMCHIS card is how most eligible Chennai families use central money for free hospital care. The CMCHIS website is the state’s single portal for both.

The picture is more complicated for people aged 70 and above. The Centre’s Ayushman Vay Vandana card covers every senior citizen of that age regardless of income, and in August 2026 the Tamil Nadu government announced its own scheme for the same group. Here is how the pieces fit, and what we could and could not confirm.

How PM-JAY and CMCHIS were combined

The two schemes pick families in different ways. PM-JAY eligibility nationally rests on deprivation data from the Socio Economic and Caste Census of 2011, while CMCHIS uses an annual family income limit set by the state. Tamil Nadu chose to run them as one scheme, so families who qualify under the state rule are handled through the same system as those on the central list, and the state carries the cost beyond what the Centre pays.

In practice, this means:

You enrol once, through the CMCHIS kiosk at the district collectorate.
The same empanelled hospitals and the same insurance desk handle your claim.
You do not need a separate Ayushman Bharat card to get treatment under the combined scheme in Tamil Nadu, though some families have both.

On 19 August 2026, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced that CMCHIS cover would rise from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh per family per year, with implementation details to follow (News Today).

Ayushman Vay Vandana: the 70-plus card

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Vay Vandana card on 29 October 2024 as an extension of PM-JAY to all citizens aged 70 and above, without an income test (PIB). Within three weeks, enrolment had crossed 10 lakh nationally (All India Radio).

The card carries PM-JAY’s standard cover of up to Rs 5 lakh a year for hospital treatment. Seniors in families already on PM-JAY get it on top of the family cover. The finer rules, such as how it interacts with CGHS or other government health schemes, are set by the National Health Authority, so check them on the official portal rather than on forwarded messages.

Enrolment is through the Ayushman app or the NHA beneficiary portal, using Aadhaar e-KYC and an OTP to a mobile phone, or with help at an empanelled hospital. The PM-JAY national helpline is 14555.

Tamil Nadu’s own elderly scheme

On 17 August 2026, Health Minister K.G. Arunraj announced a Chief Minister’s Elderly Health Insurance Scheme in the Assembly (Deccan Chronicle). It promises free treatment at empanelled government and private hospitals for residents aged 70 and above, with no income ceiling. That overlaps almost exactly with the group the Vay Vandana card already serves, which is why the details of how the two will fit together matter.

What has not been published, as far as we could find, is the cover amount, the enrolment process and a start date. A government order would normally set these out. Until then, there is nothing to apply for. Be wary of anyone, online or at your door, who offers to register you for the state elderly scheme for a fee. Government enrolment for CMCHIS and Vay Vandana is free, and you should never share an Aadhaar OTP with a stranger.

What a Chennai senior should do now

If your family has a CMCHIS card, keep using it. It is the main route to PM-JAY benefits in the state.
If you are 70 or older, check whether you already have a Vay Vandana record on the NHA portal or the Ayushman app.
Before a planned admission, call the CMCHIS toll-free line (1800 425 3993) and ask which card the hospital will process.
Watch for the state’s government order on the elderly scheme, which should clarify how it links with Vay Vandana.

Quick answers

Do I need a separate Ayushman Bharat card in Tamil Nadu?

Usually not. PM-JAY benefits in Tamil Nadu are delivered through CMCHIS, which has been integrated with the central scheme since 2018.

Is there an income limit for the Vay Vandana card?

No. Every citizen aged 70 and above is eligible, regardless of income.

Has the Tamil Nadu elderly scheme started?

It was announced on 17 August 2026. We found no published enrolment process or start date as of 18 October.

Which helpline should I call?

For treatment in Tamil Nadu, CMCHIS at 1800 425 3993. For Vay Vandana enrolment, 14555.

Coverage rules are complex; check with the helpline and consult your doctor before planning treatment.

Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.