PM RAHAT Scheme:Free ₹1.5 Lakh Cashless Treatment for Road Accident Victims
A road accident does two things at once. It hurts someone, and it scares everyone around them about the hospital bill. The PM RAHAT Scheme is built to take the second worry off the table so people act fast on the first. Under the scheme, any person injured in a road accident in India can get free cashless treatment up to ₹1.5 lakh, for up to 7 days from the date of the accident. No advance payment. No long forms for the patient. The hospital handles the paperwork. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the scheme nationwide in February 2026, and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) runs it along with the National Health Authority, state health agencies and the police. It is built around one simple medical fact: the first 60 minutes after a crash, the “golden hour,” decide whether many victims live. A large share of road deaths in India are preventable if treatment starts in time, and money is one of the biggest reasons it doesn’t. If you take one thing from this article: if someone is hurt in a road accident, do not stop to arrange money. Get them to a nearby empanelled hospital within 24 hours, make sure the police are informed within 24 hours, and the treatment is covered.
Benefits of the Scheme
Cashless Care
Victims get treatment without paying anything upfront; the hospital bills the government directly, up to ₹1.5 lakh.
Wide Coverage
Applies to accidents on any road — national highway, city street or village lane as long as a motor vehicle is involved.
Open to All
Covers every accident victim, including foreign nationals; it is not limited to insured persons or any income group.
Golden Hour Focus
Linked with the 112 emergency helpline so victims or Good Samaritans can quickly find the nearest hospital and ambulance.
Zero Paperwork for Patient
No registration, no form, no prior approval; the patient just shows ID and the hospital completes all formalities.
Important Stats
How to Use / Avail the Scheme (Step by Step)
Move the victim fast
Take the injured person to the nearest hospital empanelled under Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY) without waiting to arrange money.
Inform the police
Make sure the police are told about the accident within 24 hours; police verification through the eDAR portal is required.
Get admitted within 24 hours
The victim must be admitted to the hospital within 24 hours of the accident for the cashless cover to apply.
Show basic ID
Provide the victim’s Aadhaar card or any valid government photo ID; the hospital verifies the identity.
Let the hospital do the paperwork
After admission, hospital staff complete all formalities and raise the claim; the patient files nothing.
Treatment proceeds cashless
Care continues up to ₹1.5 lakh for 7 days; the hospital is paid from the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund.
Move the victim fast
Take the injured person to the nearest hospital empanelled under Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY) without waiting to arrange money.
Inform the police
Make sure the police are told about the accident within 24 hours; police verification through the eDAR portal is required.
Get admitted within 24 hours
The victim must be admitted to the hospital within 24 hours of the accident for the cashless cover to apply.
Show basic ID
Provide the victim’s Aadhaar card or any valid government photo ID; the hospital verifies the identity.
Let the hospital do the paperwork
After admission, hospital staff complete all formalities and raise the claim; the patient files nothing.
Treatment proceeds cashless
Care continues up to ₹1.5 lakh for 7 days; the hospital is paid from the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund.
Eligibility
Any Victim
Any person injured in a road accident in India, including foreign nationals, is eligible.
Motor Vehicle Involved
The accident must involve a motor vehicle such as a car, bike, bus, truck or auto.
Any Road
The crash can happen on a national highway, state highway, city road or rural road; road type does not matter.
24-Hour Police Report
Someone must inform the police about the accident within 24 hours.
24-Hour Admission
The victim must be admitted to an empanelled hospital within 24 hours of the accident.
Empanelled Hospital
Treatment must be taken at a hospital listed under Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY).
FAQs
Scheme Snapshot
PM RAHAT (Prime Minister – Road Accident Victims’ Hospitalisation and Assured Treatment) is a Central Sector scheme launched in February 2026 by MoRTH under Section 162 of the Motor Vehicles Act. It gives every road accident victim in India free cashless treatment up to ₹1.5 lakh for 7 days from the accident date, on any category of road. Both Indian citizens and foreign nationals are covered. Treatment happens at hospitals empanelled under Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY). Police must be informed and the victim admitted within 24 hours. Hospitals are paid from the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund. No registration or form is needed from the patient.
Other Important Things to Know
It overrides other schemes. PM RAHAT takes precedence over other central or state accident-treatment schemes for the same purpose.
How hospitals get paid. Payments flow through the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund, funded by general insurance companies (for insured vehicles) and government support (for uninsured and hit-and-run cases).
Digital backbone. The police eDAR platform and the NHA’s TMS 2.0 system are linked, so accident data and claims move together.
Good Samaritan friendly. A passerby, police officer or ambulance staff can take the victim to hospital; helping someone does not create legal trouble for you.
Find a hospital fast. Dial 112 to locate the nearest designated hospital and request an ambulance.
Grievances. A district-level officer under the District Road Safety Committee handles complaints about service delivery.
Conclusion
PM RAHAT removes the single biggest reason families hesitate after a crash: the money. With ₹1.5 lakh of cashless cover for 7 days, treatment at 30,000-plus hospitals, and no forms for the patient, the scheme is designed to be used in a panic, by anyone, for anyone. Save the number 112 and remember the two 24-hour rules — inform police and get admitted within a day. That single piece of knowledge can be the difference for someone in your life.
Disclaimer
StartupFlora provides consultancy services only. We are not affiliated with any government department. All scheme benefits and approvals are at the sole discretion of the respective government authority and implementing agency.