New Delhi: The Union health ministry on Thursday said Aadhaar cards were not required for treatment under the National Health Protection Scheme, but guidelines released by the Centre suggest that beneficiaries can seek treatment only once without the 12-digit biometric identity.
The ministry said a notification "being issued" enables implementation agencies to ask beneficiaries for their Aadhaar card to authenticate identity. "In order to authenticate the identity of beneficiaries accurately, the use of Aadhaar card is preferable, but not a must," the ministry said.
The Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission, announced by the Narendra Modi government earlier this year, seeks to provide up to Rs 5 lakh per year for hospitalisation costs to over 10 crore poor and vulnerable households across the country.
"There shall be no denial for want of Aadhaar number," the ministry said. "We will provide services to all eligible beneficiaries with or without Aadhaar card," health minister Jagat Prakash Nadda said in a statement.
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