Cashless treatment scheme (2025)

Since 2025, road accident victims in India are entitled to cashless emergency treatment at designated hospitals — regardless of who was at fault and regardless of whether the vehicle is insured.

What the scheme covers

  • Emergency treatment up to ₹1.5 lakh
  • Treatment for up to 7 days from the date of the accident
  • Available at hospitals designated under the scheme only
  • No upfront payment required from the victim or family
  • Covers all road accident victims — pedestrians, passengers, and drivers

How to find a designated hospital

Not every hospital is designated under the scheme. The fastest way to find one is to call 112 — the operator can identify the nearest designated hospital and dispatch an ambulance.

You can also check the National Health Authority portal at nha.gov.in. Search for "designated hospitals cashless road accident" on that site to find the current list for your area. The list is maintained by the State Road Safety Council in each state and may be updated periodically.

If you are already at a non-designated hospital, the hospital must at minimum provide stabilisation. Ask for a transfer to the nearest designated hospital after stabilisation.

How to use it

  1. Get to a designated hospital. Call 112 — they can identify the nearest designated hospital. Not every hospital is designated. If the nearest hospital is not on the list, ask whether the patient can be stabilised and transferred.
  2. Tell the hospital staff this is a road accident case. Use those exact words. This triggers the cashless treatment protocol.
  3. The hospital requests the eDAR Victim ID from police. This ID links the treatment record to the accident case. The hospital is responsible for initiating this — you do not need to do it yourself, but it helps to know it must happen.
  4. Treatment begins immediately. In life-threatening cases, treatment must start before any documents are checked.

If the hospital refuses

A designated hospital cannot legally refuse cashless treatment to a road accident victim. If you are refused:

  1. Ask to speak to the medical superintendent immediately.
  2. Call 14555 — the National Health Authority helpline for grievances about this scheme.
  3. Call 112 and report the refusal.

After the 7-day period

The cashless scheme covers emergency treatment for 7 days. After that, the family is responsible for ongoing treatment costs — but you can include these in a compensation claim through the MACT tribunal.

See the compensation page for how to claim ongoing costs.

Sources