PM-RAHAT: cashless treatment in the Golden HourPM-RAHAT: गोल्डन आवर में कैशलेस इलाज

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. The scheme is now called PM-RAHAT; you may still hear it called cashless treatment.भारत में सड़क दुर्घटना के पीड़ितों को तय अस्पतालों में कैशलेस आपातकालीन इलाज का हक़ है, चाहे ग़लती किसी की भी हो और चाहे वाहन का बीमा हो या न हो। इस योजना का नाम अब PM-RAHAT है; इसे कैशलेस इलाज भी कहा जाता है।

The name

The scheme was launched by the Prime Minister on 13 February 2026 and formally renamed the Prime Minister Road Accident Victims' Hospitalisation and Assured Treatment Scheme, PM-RAHAT, later that month. It is the same entitlement as the 2025 cashless treatment scheme, with the cover unchanged. Hospitals and police may still call it "cashless treatment" or "the road accident scheme".

PM-RAHAT is a statutory scheme and takes precedence over any other Central or State scheme, so use those exact words: this is a road accident case under PM-RAHAT.

What the scheme covers

  • Emergency treatment up to ₹1.5 lakh per victim
  • Treatment for up to 7 days from the date of the accident
  • Any road, any category of accident involving a motor vehicle
  • 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
  • Guaranteed stabilisation even at a non-designated hospital: up to 24 hours in non-life-threatening cases, up to 48 hours in life-threatening cases, before transfer

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 provide stabilisation: up to 24 hours in non-life-threatening cases, up to 48 hours in life-threatening cases. Ask for a transfer to the nearest designated hospital after that.

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.

The formal grievance route under PM-RAHAT is: the Grievance Redressal Officer appointed by the District Road Safety Committee, then the District Collector, then the State Road Safety Council.

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 how MACT compensation is worked out for how to claim ongoing costs.

Sources