Deendayal Antyodaya Upchar Yojana was started by Madhya Pradesh government in September 2004 to give free hospital treatment to poor families through government hospitals. Under this scheme, an eligible family could get free treatment, tests and medicines worth up to ₹20,000 in a financial year, and this limit was later raised to ₹30,000.
Scheme has been closed or it was a one time scheme which has been closed by the government. Its work of paying for free hospital treatment of poor families in Madhya Pradesh has now moved to Ayushman Bharat Niramayam Yojana, which gives cover up to ₹5 lakh per family every year. So if a family in Madhya Pradesh needs free treatment in 2026, the Ayushman card is the right thing to check, not the old Deendayal treatment card.
Deendayal Antyodaya Upchar Yojana Current Status in 2026
Public Health and Family Welfare Department of Madhya Pradesh ran this scheme as a department funded treatment support, not as an insurance policy. Families did not pay any premium. A family health card was issued free, and treatment was given mostly in government hospitals with admission facility.
From September 2018, Madhya Pradesh started running Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY in the state under the name Niramayam. This state rollout took over the same job with a much bigger amount and a wider hospital list, including empanelled private hospitals. There is no public repeal order for the old scheme, but in practice no fresh benefit is being given under it now. Deen Dayal Swasthya Suraksha Parishad, the state health agency, handles hospital empanelment, Ayushman card making and claims. That is why the Deendayal name still shows up in some official papers even though the benefit itself is now Ayushman based.
One more thing worth knowing. Names here get confusing. Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-NULM is a central urban livelihood mission, and Deendayal Antyodaya Rasoi Yojana is the ₹10 meal scheme of Madhya Pradesh. Both are different from this treatment scheme.
Scheme Highlights
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Scheme Name | Deendayal Antyodaya Upchar Yojana |
| Launched By | Madhya Pradesh government, Public Health and Family Welfare Department |
| Started In | September 2004 |
| Eligible People | BPL families, registered construction workers, notified tribal groups of Madhya Pradesh |
| Benefit Amount | Free treatment up to ₹20,000 a year, later raised to ₹30,000 |
| Current Position | Closed in practice, work taken over by Ayushman Bharat Niramayam |
| Replacement Cover | Up to ₹5 lakh per family per year under PM-JAY |
| Official Website Now | Ayushman Bharat Niramayam Madhya Pradesh |
What Benefits Were Given Under This Scheme
Benefit was never a cash payment in hand. It was the value of treatment paid by the state for an admitted patient. Card was given free and it covered the whole family listed on the ration card, including members with disability, though disability alone did not make a family eligible.
- Free inpatient treatment in government hospitals, up to the yearly limit fixed for the family.
- Medicines given during the hospital stay, so the family did not have to buy them from outside.
- Pathology, radiology and other tests needed during treatment, paid by the department.
- Referral to another government recognised hospital when the admitting hospital could not give that treatment, with proper approval.
Who Could Apply
Eligibility was based on the notified category of the family, not on caste. A family had to be from Madhya Pradesh and had to be on the BPL list, or hold a Nirman Shramik card as a registered construction worker, or a Mukhyamantri Mazdoor Suraksha card. Some particularly at risk tribal groups were covered even without the BPL condition. Head of the family used to apply in the same district where the family lived.
How Card Was Issued
Card issue was a notified service under Madhya Pradesh Public Services Guarantee Act, 2010, so the officer had to give the card in a fixed time, usually 7 working days after full documents were received.
STEP 1 - Family used to collect the BPL ration card or BPL certificate, a passport size photo of the head of the family, and proof of residence if the local office asked for it.
STEP 2 - Form was filled and submitted at the nearest Lok Seva Kendra, a Common Service Centre or with the local health officer. A small fee of about ₹30 was charged at Lok Seva Kendra for the service.
STEP 3 - Block Medical Officer in rural areas or Chief Medical and Health Officer in urban areas checked the papers and issued the card. A mobile number was needed for SMS updates.
What To Do Now Instead
Old card does not carry any working benefit today, so the useful step is to check the Ayushman side. NFSA ration card families, Sambal cardholders, families already in the PM-JAY list and senior citizens of 70 years and above under Ayushman Vay Vandana are covered in Madhya Pradesh.
STEP 1 - Open the Niramayam beneficiary status page at niramayamp.nic.in and enter the Samagra family ID to see whether the family is in the PM-JAY list.
STEP 2 - If the family name is there, get the Ayushman card made at a nearby Common Service Centre, Lok Seva Kendra or at the Ayushman counter of a government hospital, with Aadhaar and Samagra ID.
STEP 3 - At the time of treatment, show the Ayushman card at the Ayushman Mitra desk of an empanelled hospital and get the treatment cashless within the ₹5 lakh yearly limit.
References
Ayushman Bharat Niramayam Madhya Pradesh Portal | Check Beneficiary Status by Samagra ID | Public Health and Family Welfare Department, Madhya Pradesh
FAQ's
Is Deendayal Antyodaya Upchar Yojana still running in 2026?
No fresh benefit is being given under it. Free hospital treatment for poor families in Madhya Pradesh is now handled through Ayushman Bharat Niramayam.
How much treatment cover did the old scheme give?
Up to ₹20,000 of free treatment per family in a financial year, and this ceiling was later raised to ₹30,000.
What replaces it now?
Ayushman Bharat Niramayam, the state rollout of PM-JAY in Madhya Pradesh, with cashless cover up to ₹5 lakh per family per year.
Can an old Deendayal treatment card still be used in a hospital?
Hospitals now work on the Ayushman card. Better to check the family name on the Niramayam portal and get the Ayushman card made.
Who was eligible under the old scheme?
BPL families of Madhya Pradesh, registered construction workers with Nirman Shramik card, Mukhyamantri Mazdoor Suraksha cardholders and some notified tribal groups.
Was there any fee for the card?
Card itself was free. Only a small service charge of about ₹30 applied if the form was submitted through a Lok Seva Kendra.
Where can the Ayushman eligibility be checked in Madhya Pradesh?
On the Niramayam beneficiary status page using the Samagra family ID, or at any Common Service Centre.
Are senior citizens covered now?
Yes, people aged 70 and above are covered under Ayushman Vay Vandana, whatever the family income is.
Who issued the Deendayal card earlier?
Block Medical Officer in rural areas and Chief Medical and Health Officer in urban areas.
Is Deendayal Antyodaya Rasoi Yojana the same scheme?
No. That is the ₹10 meal scheme of Madhya Pradesh and has nothing to do with hospital treatment cover.