PM RAHAT Scheme 2026: Cashless Treatment for Road Accident Victims
The PM RAHAT Scheme, formally called the Prime Minister – Road Accident Victims' Hospitalisation and Assured Treatment Scheme, provides cashless treatment to eligible road accident victims. The scheme was launched nationwide on 13 February 2026 and provides treatment cover of up to ₹1.5 lakh per victim, subject to a maximum period of seven days from the date of the accident.
The scheme applies to qualifying road accidents caused by the use of motor vehicles on any category of road. It also provides stabilization treatment for up to 24 hours in non-life-threatening cases and up to 48 hours in life-threatening cases, subject to the prescribed police-response process at designated hospitals.
PM RAHAT is built around an integrated system involving the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the National Health Authority (NHA), police authorities, State Health Agencies and designated hospitals. The system connects emergency assistance through 112, accident reporting through eDAR, and hospital treatment and claims through TMS 2.0.
This guide explains who can receive treatment, how the cashless system works, what the ₹1.5 lakh limit means, how the 24-hour and 48-hour provisions work, and what accident victims and families should know.
What Is the PM RAHAT Scheme?
PM RAHAT is a Central Government scheme created under the legal framework of Section 162 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
The original Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims Scheme, 2025 was notified on 5 May 2025. Detailed implementation guidelines and standard operating procedures followed in June 2025. The scheme was launched nationwide on 13 February 2026 and was formally renamed the Prime Minister – Road Accident Victims' Hospitalisation and Assured Treatment (PM-RAHAT) Scheme through a February 2026 amendment notification.
The main purpose is to make timely medical treatment available to road accident victims without making immediate payment by the victim the starting point for treatment under the scheme.
What Benefits Does PM RAHAT Provide?
The central benefit is:
Cashless treatment of up to ₹1.5 lakh per victim, subject to a maximum of seven days from the date of the accident.
The scheme does not mean that ₹1.5 lakh is deposited into the victim's bank account.
Instead, it is a ceiling on treatment covered under the scheme's applicable health benefit packages at designated hospitals.
The seven-day provision should also be understood correctly. It means treatment cover is subject to a maximum period of seven days from the accident date. It does not mean that every victim automatically receives seven days of hospital admission.
Who Can Benefit From PM RAHAT?
The scheme covers victims involved in road accidents caused by the use of motor vehicles.
The official framework states that the treatment cover applies to accidents occurring on any category of road. Therefore, the scheme is not restricted to national highways or major highways.
This can include qualifying accidents involving different types of road users. The important issue is whether the incident falls within the scheme's road-accident framework and whether treatment is provided through the designated system.
PM RAHAT should not, however, be described as an unlimited healthcare entitlement for every medical emergency. It is specifically connected with qualifying road accidents involving motor vehicles.
Is PM RAHAT Available on All Roads?
Yes, the official scheme description says the treatment cover applies to qualifying road accidents on any category of road.
The scheme therefore is not limited to:
National highways
State highways
Major city roads
It can apply to qualifying accidents on other categories of roads as well.
The critical condition is that the accident must fall within the scheme's definition involving the use of a motor vehicle.
How Much Treatment Is Covered?
The maximum treatment cover is:
| Feature | PM RAHAT provision |
|---|---|
| Maximum treatment cover | Up to ₹1.5 lakh per victim |
| Maximum treatment period | 7 days from accident date |
| Road coverage | Any category of road |
| Stabilization — non-life-threatening | Up to 24 hours |
| Stabilization — life-threatening | Up to 48 hours |
| Treatment location | Designated hospitals |
The ₹1.5 lakh amount is a maximum treatment-cover limit, not guaranteed cash assistance.
Actual treatment depends on the applicable health benefit packages and the services provided by the designated hospital.
What Does the 24-Hour Rule Actually Mean?
This is one of the most important points to understand.
The PM RAHAT framework does not support presenting 24 hours as a universal deadline by which every victim must be admitted to a hospital or automatically lose eligibility.
Instead, the official scheme states that stabilization treatment can be provided for up to:
24 hours in non-life-threatening cases
48 hours in life-threatening cases
The corresponding police response/authentication process operates within these prescribed periods.
Therefore, readers should not interpret PM RAHAT as saying:
"You must reach the hospital within 24 hours or the scheme does not apply."
The purpose of the framework is to enable timely emergency treatment while police authentication and digital processing take place.
What Happens After a Road Accident?
After an accident, the priority should always be emergency medical care.
The PM RAHAT system connects accident victims, Good Samaritans, emergency responders, police authorities and hospitals through several digital systems.
Step 1: Call 112 When Emergency Assistance Is Needed
The 112 Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) is integrated with PM RAHAT.
A road accident victim, Good Samaritan or another person at the accident site can use 112 to obtain information about the nearest designated hospital and request ambulance assistance where required.
This is particularly important because the scheme is designed to support timely treatment during the critical period after a traumatic injury.
Step 2: Reach a Designated Hospital
Treatment under PM RAHAT is provided through designated hospitals.
The National Health Authority has issued guidelines for the designation and onboarding of additional hospitals by States and Union Territories.
Readers should therefore avoid assuming that every hospital automatically provides PM RAHAT treatment.
The hospital's designation and participation should be confirmed through the appropriate government or hospital channel.
Step 3: Treatment Begins
Once the victim is admitted, the treatment process is initiated using the applicable Health Benefit Packages developed by the National Health Authority.
This is an important feature of the system because treatment does not depend on the victim personally completing a conventional insurance claim before emergency care can begin.
Step 4: Police Authentication
Police authentication is integrated into the digital workflow.
The hospital generates the relevant treatment identification information through TMS 2.0. The treatment information is then connected to district police authorities through the eDAR system.
The official PM RAHAT description provides police response periods of up to 24 hours, or up to 48 hours for life-threatening cases.
This process should not be confused with a blanket requirement that every victim must personally visit a police station within 24 hours.
What Is eDAR?
eDAR stands for Electronic Detailed Accident Report.
It is used by police authorities for accident reporting and is integrated into the PM RAHAT digital workflow.
The system helps connect accident information with the hospital treatment record.
This allows the scheme to create a digital trail covering the accident, hospital admission, treatment, police authentication, claim processing and payment.
What Is TMS 2.0?
TMS 2.0, or the Transaction Management System of the National Health Authority, is used by participating hospitals for treatment-related processing.
Under PM RAHAT, the system supports:
Treatment identification
Treatment records
Claim submission
Claim processing
Payment-related processing
Its integration with eDAR allows information to move between the hospital and police systems as part of the scheme's digital workflow.
How Are Hospitals Reimbursed?
Hospital reimbursement under PM RAHAT is connected to the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVAF).
According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the fund is supported differently depending on the circumstances of the accident.
For cases involving an insured offending vehicle, contributions from general insurance companies are used.
For uninsured and hit-and-run cases, the government provides budgetary support.
This mechanism is designed to provide hospitals with financial support for eligible treatment instead of requiring the accident victim to arrange immediate payment for covered treatment.
When Are Hospitals Paid?
The government has stated that claims approved by the State Health Agency will be paid to hospitals within 10 days.
This is a hospital reimbursement timeline. It should not be interpreted as a guarantee that every patient will receive approval within 10 days or that every medical expense will automatically be covered.
Does PM RAHAT Depend on Vehicle Insurance?
PM RAHAT's treatment mechanism is designed to operate for eligible road accident victims irrespective of whether the offending vehicle is insured, uninsured or involved in a hit-and-run situation.
The funding mechanism differs according to the circumstances.
For insured offending vehicles, contributions from general insurance companies support the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund. For uninsured and hit-and-run cases, government budgetary support is used.
This does not mean that PM RAHAT eliminates all other insurance or compensation rights. It is a specific cashless-treatment framework.
What If Treatment Costs More Than ₹1.5 Lakh?
PM RAHAT has a maximum treatment-cover limit of ₹1.5 lakh per victim and a maximum period of seven days from the accident date.
Therefore, the scheme should not be described as unlimited free treatment.
If a patient requires additional treatment beyond the PM RAHAT coverage, the financial arrangements may depend on other applicable healthcare schemes, insurance, accident compensation mechanisms or other sources of support.
Families should ask the hospital about the applicable arrangements rather than assuming that all future expenses remain covered by PM RAHAT.
Is Prior Registration Required?
PM RAHAT is not structured like a conventional insurance product in which an individual must purchase a policy before an accident.
The scheme is activated through the road-accident, hospital, police and digital systems after a qualifying accident.
Therefore, readers should not pay an agent to obtain a PM RAHAT "membership card" or advance registration.
What Is the Current PM RAHAT Status in 2026?
PM RAHAT is under nationwide implementation.
According to a Ministry of Road Transport and Highways update released by PIB on 12 August 2026, 22,481 victims had benefited from the scheme across 34 States/UTs as of 31 July 2026.
The same official release provides state-wise implementation information.
For example, the reported total for Andhra Pradesh was 677 cases, comprising 391 approved cases, 244 cases discharged following no police response within the prescribed timelines, and 42 life-threatening cases found ineligible by State Police.
These are implementation figures as of 31 July 2026 and should not be treated as permanent totals. They may change as the scheme expands and additional cases are processed.
PM RAHAT and Andhra Pradesh
PM RAHAT is a Central Government scheme and should not be described as an Andhra Pradesh Government scheme.
However, Andhra Pradesh is among the States/UTs included in the national implementation data.
The latest official figures cited above reported 677 total cases in Andhra Pradesh as of 31 July 2026.
For a person involved in an accident in Andhra Pradesh, the practical question is whether the treatment facility is designated under the PM RAHAT framework and whether the accident and treatment meet the applicable requirements.
Important Points for Accident Victims and Families
If a road accident occurs:
Seek emergency medical assistance immediately.
Call 112 when emergency response or ambulance assistance is required.
Ask about the nearest designated PM RAHAT hospital.
Do not delay urgent medical care while trying to complete paperwork.
Keep available identity and accident-related documents, but do not assume that a specific document is an automatic eligibility condition unless the hospital or official process requires it.
Cooperate with legitimate police verification.
Keep hospital records, treatment details and claim-related information.
Ask the hospital whether the treatment is being processed under PM RAHAT.
Do not pay unofficial agents promising guaranteed PM RAHAT approval.
Verify important information through official government sources.
PM RAHAT Fraud Precautions
Government-benefit schemes can attract fraudulent intermediaries.
Readers should be cautious if someone claims that they can:
Guarantee PM RAHAT approval
Activate a PM RAHAT card for a fee
Release the ₹1.5 lakh benefit directly into a bank account
Speed up police authentication in exchange for money
Process treatment through an unofficial website
Never share an OTP, UPI PIN, ATM PIN, banking password or other confidential financial credential with an unknown person.
Use official government channels and the hospital's authorized personnel for scheme-related assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PM RAHAT available on village roads?
The official scheme states that treatment cover applies to qualifying road accidents on any category of road, provided the accident is caused by the use of a motor vehicle.
How much treatment is available under PM RAHAT?
Eligible victims can receive treatment cover of up to ₹1.5 lakh per victim, subject to a maximum period of seven days from the date of the accident.
Is ₹1.5 lakh paid directly to the victim?
No. The ₹1.5 lakh is a treatment-cover ceiling. It should not be described as cash deposited into the victim's bank account.
Does PM RAHAT require admission within 24 hours?
The official material reviewed does not support describing 24 hours as a universal hospital-admission deadline. The 24-hour and 48-hour periods relate to stabilization and police response/authentication under the scheme's prescribed process.
What is the 48-hour rule?
For life-threatening cases, stabilization treatment can be provided for up to 48 hours, subject to the prescribed police-response process.
Can victims call 112?
Yes. PM RAHAT is integrated with the 112 Emergency Response Support System. A victim, Good Samaritan or another person at the accident site can use 112 to obtain information about a nearby designated hospital and request ambulance support.
Is every PM-JAY hospital automatically a PM RAHAT hospital?
No. Hospital designation and onboarding are subject to the applicable PM RAHAT requirements. The government has issued guidelines for designation and onboarding of additional hospitals.
Does PM RAHAT cover uninsured or hit-and-run accidents?
The government states that the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund provides budgetary support for uninsured and hit-and-run cases, within the scheme's framework.
What happens if the treatment bill exceeds ₹1.5 lakh?
PM RAHAT's treatment cover is capped at ₹1.5 lakh and subject to the seven-day limit. Additional treatment arrangements may depend on other applicable insurance, government healthcare schemes or compensation mechanisms.
When was PM RAHAT officially named?
The underlying scheme was notified in May 2025 and launched nationwide in February 2026. The name PM RAHAT was formally substituted through the 19 February 2026 amendment notification.
Key Takeaways
PM RAHAT was launched nationwide on 13 February 2026.
It is based on the legal framework of Section 162 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
Eligible road accident victims can receive treatment cover of up to ₹1.5 lakh.
The maximum treatment-cover period is seven days from the accident date.
The scheme applies to qualifying accidents caused by motor vehicles on any category of road.
Stabilization can be provided for up to 24 hours in non-life-threatening cases and 48 hours in life-threatening cases, subject to the prescribed police-response process.
112 is integrated with the scheme for emergency assistance and designated-hospital information.
eDAR and TMS 2.0 connect police and hospital processing.
Hospital reimbursement is linked to the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund.
Approved hospital claims are to be paid within 10 days.
PM RAHAT is not the same scheme as Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY.
The ₹1.5 lakh amount is treatment coverage, not direct cash assistance.
The claim that every victim must be admitted within 24 hours should not be treated as a universal PM RAHAT rule.
Important Disclaimer
Direct Govt News is an independent information website and is not an official government website.
Government schemes, hospital designation, implementation procedures and official statistics can change. Readers should verify important information through current Government of India notifications, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways updates, National Health Authority information and the designated hospital before making decisions.
PM RAHAT does not guarantee that every medical expense will be covered. The scheme's treatment limit, applicable health benefit packages, hospital designation and prescribed verification procedures remain relevant to individual cases.
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