PM-RAHAT Yojana: Know All About Cashless Treatment for Road Accident Victims

by Ashis Sinha

PM-RAHAT Yojana offers eligible road accident victims cashless treatment up to ₹1.5 lakh for seven days. Know its benefits, eligibility and how to get help.

India’s road accident victims can receive cashless medical treatment of up to ₹1.5 lakh under the Prime Minister – Road Accident Victims’ Hospitalisation and Assured Treatment (PM-RAHAT) Yojana. The scheme aims to ensure that injured people receive timely medical attention without having to arrange money immediately after an accident.

Launched nationwide by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 13, 2026, the scheme focuses on providing prompt emergency medical care during the critical ‘Golden Hour’—the first hour after a traumatic injury, when timely treatment can significantly improve a victim’s chances of survival.

The initiative is designed to reduce preventable deaths caused by delays in hospitalisation and financial difficulties faced by accident victims.

What Is the PM-RAHAT Yojana?

PM-RAHAT stands for Prime Minister – Road Accident Victims’ Hospitalisation and Assured Treatment. The scheme provides cashless treatment to eligible victims of road accidents involving motor vehicles, subject to prescribed conditions and treatment limits.

It was initially notified in May 2025 as the Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims Scheme and was subsequently renamed PM-RAHAT during its nationwide launch in February 2026.

The initiative operates under the framework of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and seeks to strengthen emergency medical services by connecting accident response systems, hospitals, police and digital claim-processing platforms.

Key Benefits Under PM-RAHAT

Cashless Treatment Up to ₹1.5 Lakh

Eligible road accident victims can receive cashless treatment worth up to ₹1.5 lakh per victim. The benefit is subject to the scheme’s prescribed health benefit packages and other applicable conditions.

Treatment for Up to Seven Days

The scheme provides coverage for a maximum of seven days from the date of the accident, within the applicable financial limit.

Emergency Stabilisation

The scheme provides for stabilisation treatment for up to 24 hours in non-life-threatening cases and up to 48 hours in life-threatening cases, subject to the prescribed provisions and procedures.

Coverage Across Road Categories

The scheme is intended to cover eligible motor vehicle accident victims regardless of whether an accident occurs on a national highway, state highway or another road.

How Can Accident Victims Avail the Benefit?

The government has integrated PM-RAHAT with the 112 Emergency Response Support System to facilitate emergency assistance and access to designated hospitals.

The process is designed to work as follows:

Step 1: Call 112. Accident victims, bystanders or Good Samaritans can contact the emergency response service for assistance and information about the nearest designated hospital.

Step 2: Reach a designated hospital. The victim is taken to an eligible hospital, where emergency care and treatment can be initiated.

Step 3: Complete registration and verification. The hospital records the case through the designated digital systems, while the required police verification and accident documentation are processed.

Step 4: Treatment and claim processing. The hospital provides eligible treatment under the scheme and submits the claim for verification and reimbursement through the prescribed mechanism.

The process is intended to minimise delays so that financial and administrative formalities do not obstruct urgent medical care.

Who Is Eligible for PM-RAHAT?

The scheme is designed for people injured in road accidents involving motor vehicles, subject to its eligibility rules and treatment conditions. The victim must receive treatment at a designated hospital for the expenses to qualify under the scheme.

Unlike Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, which covers identified eligible beneficiaries, PM-RAHAT specifically addresses qualifying road accident cases. An Ayushman Bharat card is not a general prerequisite for receiving benefits under PM-RAHAT.

Hospitals empanelled under Ayushman Bharat that meet the relevant requirements may also serve as designated facilities under the scheme.

Who Pays for the Treatment?

The scheme uses the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund to support cashless treatment, with the funding mechanism depending on the circumstances of the accident.

For accidents involving insured vehicles, funding is supported through contributions from general insurance companies. In cases involving uninsured vehicles and hit-and-run accidents, government budgetary support is provided for eligible treatment.

The scheme also prescribes a payment timeline of 10 days after a claim is approved by the State Health Agency, helping provide hospitals with greater financial certainty.

More Than 22,000 Victims Benefited

According to a government update released on August 12, 2026, a total of 22,481 road accident victims had benefited from PM-RAHAT across 34 states and Union Territories as of July 31, 2026.

The government has also provided for action against hospitals that fail to comply with the scheme’s requirements. District-level grievance redressal mechanisms have been established to address complaints and implementation issues.

The figures indicate that the scheme has moved beyond the announcement stage. However, its wider impact will depend on the availability of designated hospitals, ambulance services, timely verification and prompt reimbursement.

Implementation Challenges Remain

Despite its potential, PM-RAHAT’s success will depend on effective implementation across urban, rural and remote areas.

Ensuring sufficient designated hospitals, improving public awareness of the emergency helpline, preventing delays in police verification and processing claims within prescribed timelines will be crucial.

Coordination among hospitals, police, ambulance services and state authorities will also play a major role. Effective monitoring and accessible grievance redressal systems will be necessary to ensure that eligible victims receive the promised benefits.

Conclusion

PM-RAHAT is an important step towards making emergency medical care more accessible to road accident victims in India. By providing cashless treatment of up to ₹1.5 lakh for a maximum of seven days, the scheme seeks to reduce the financial barriers that can delay life-saving medical assistance.

Its long-term success will depend on the speed of emergency response, the availability of designated hospitals and the reliability of verification and reimbursement systems.

If implemented effectively, PM-RAHAT could help ensure that an injured person’s chances of survival are not compromised because they cannot immediately afford medical treatment.

 

Who Is Eligible for PM-RAHAT? Anyone injured in a road accident involving a motor vehicle in India may be eligible for the PM-RAHAT Scheme, irrespective of income or social category. The scheme provides cashless medical treatment of up to ₹1.5 lakh per victim for a maximum of seven days from the date of the accident, subject to the applicable rules. Who Can Avail the Benefits? Road accident victims: Anyone injured in a qualifying accident involving a motor vehicle. People from all income groups: Eligibility is not restricted to people below the poverty line or low-income families. Accidents on different roads: Qualifying accidents on different categories of roads may be covered under the scheme. Insured and uninsured vehicles: Victims of accidents involving uninsured vehicles, as well as hit-and-run cases, may also qualify, subject to the scheme’s provisions. No restriction based on social category: Eligibility is determined by the accident and the scheme’s rules, rather than the victim’s caste, religion or economic status. How Much Financial Assistance Is Available? Maximum coverage: ₹1.5 lakh per victim. Treatment period: Up to seven days from the date of the accident. Emergency treatment: Stabilisation treatment may be provided for up to 24 hours in non-life-threatening cases and up to 48 hours in life-threatening cases, subject to the scheme’s provisions. Emergency helpline: Call 112 for emergency assistance, including ambulance services. Is Police Verification Mandatory? Police authentication is part of the scheme’s prescribed process. The stipulated timelines are 24 hours for non-life-threatening cases and 48 hours for life-threatening cases. Important: PM-RAHAT is intended to provide cashless medical treatment to eligible road accident victims. It is not a general health insurance scheme for routine illnesses. Benefits are subject to the scheme’s applicable rules and procedures.