Why ABHA Card is Important?

Why the ABHA Card Matters: Benefits & Digital Healthcare Access

ABHA health card stands for Ayushman Bharat Health Account Card. It is a 14-digit unique identification code that can be used to access stores and medical facilities, share personal health records, and maintain e-records. The ABHA health card centralises your medical history in a single platform that reduces the hassle of managing and carrying multiple documents for treatment. 

What is the Importance of the ABHA Card?

Here is a list of benefits of owning an ABHA card:

1.Having a Unique Identification

The 14-digit number for each individual is unique within the healthcare system. This unique ID helps eliminate confusion that might arise due to centralised data. By assigning a unique ID, the registrar can maintain consistent and accurate medical documentation.     

2.Adding a Beneficiary

You have the liberty to add beneficiaries to your ABHA card. This will facilitate systematic management of an individual’s health information for dependent or family members. With this feature, proper coordination is maintained for the health information of your family members. 

3.Easy Registration Process

Registration and maintaining personal health records (PHR) have become simple. By streamlining the process, you can retrieve and update health-related information and ensure proper coordination. 

4.Speeds up Insurance Processing

Claiming insurance can be a lengthy process. However, the integration of ABHA ID with health insurance details streamlines the process. This reduces the hassle of facing administrative burdens and provides easy access to benefits.

5.Accessibility to Different Healthcare Facilities

ABHA ID ensures that you have a seamless experience while accessing healthcare across the nation. Since health records are maintained in a single database, healthcare providers will be able to retrieve data on a timely basis to provide efficient care.

6.Access Alternative Facilities 

ABHA ID covers alternative treatments such as AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy). By incorporating this branch of the facility, the scheme promotes holistic health treatment options. This opens opportunities for ABHA ID holders to explore both traditional and alternative medicine practices and benefit from them.

7.Request for Activation or Deactivation

You can permanently cancel or temporarily deactivate your registration by submitting a request to the registrar. This feature allows you to exercise your choice to be part of the digital health ecosystem.  

8.Access to Health Facility Registry

By becoming a part of the ABHA, you will gain access to the overall Health Facility Registrar, a database of all healthcare facilities in India. This feature comes to the rescue when locating and choosing the right healthcare provider during an emergency. This gives you an upper hand to make informed decisions during times of emergency.    

9.Consensual Sharing of Personal Information 

ABHA requires explicit approval from the ID holder before sharing personal and health-related information. This system operates on a consent-driven data-sharing model. This feature contributes to building the trust of the ABHA cardholder that despite the data integration, the system prioritises privacy. 

 
10.ABHA Health Card for Children

The facilities of an ABHA ID card also encompass children. This allows parents to create a child's ABHA card to keep their child's health records in a systematic order. It helps parents provide proper paediatric care and maintain health records on a sequential basis. 

Requirements for having ABHA Health Card

To apply for the ABHA Card, you must be an Indian citizen. Moreover, you must link your mobile number to the ABHA card linked to your Aadhaar. However, there is no threshold limit on the income or age of an individual who is an ABHA cardholder. 

The overall registration process is online, which makes the experience hassle-free. Since the application is made online, there is no requirement to provide physical documents. ABHA health card is a concept that originates from the Digital India scheme.