KASP Health Card in Kerala: Who Qualifies and How to Use It in Kochi

KASP, the Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi, gives an eligible Kerala family up to Rs 5 lakh a year for hospital treatment, cashless, at empanelled government and private hospitals. It is Kerala's version of the central Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY scheme, and it covers the poorest 40 per cent of the state: over 42 lakh families, about 64 lakh people, according to the State Health Agency.

• What does KASP cover?
• How do you check if your family is eligible?
• How do you get the card in Kochi?
• Does the Ayushman card for over-70s work in Kerala?

What does KASP cover?

Hospital admissions for secondary and tertiary care, meaning the things that need a bed: surgery, cardiac procedures, cancer treatment and so on. It is a family floater, so the Rs 5 lakh is shared across the family for the year. It does not cover routine OP visits or everyday outpatient prescriptions.

Scheme	Who it is for	Cover
KASP	Poor and vulnerable families, bottom 40 per cent	Up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year
KASP senior component	Members aged 60 and above in KASP families	An additional Rs 30,000
Karunya Benevolent Fund	A separate state fund for families outside KASP with annual income below Rs 3 lakh	Help with critical illnesses such as cancer; reported limits range from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh

The hospital list runs to more than 500 government and private hospitals across Kerala, and there is no upper age limit. Kerala, not the Centre, carries most of the cost: the central share applies only to the families that meet the national criteria, and the state pays in full for the rest.

How do you check if your family is eligible?

You do not apply to join KASP. You are either on the beneficiary list or you are not, and most families in Kochi will not be, because it is targeted at the poorest. To check:

• Use the National Health Authority's beneficiary portal, beneficiary.nha.gov.in, which the State Health Agency links from its own site. Log in with your mobile number and an OTP, then search, for example by ration card number.
• Or walk into an Akshaya centre with your ration card and Aadhaar and ask them to check.
• Or call the PM-JAY helpline on 14555.

If a search by mobile number shows nothing, that does not settle it; it only works if that number was linked to your record, so also try by name or ration card number, and ask at Akshaya before you give up. Your ration card details matter here, so make sure they are up to date.

How do you get the card in Kochi?

Ayushman Bharat cards are issued through Akshaya centres in Kerala, so that is the practical route: take Aadhaar and the ration card for each member. At the hospital, go to the KASP or insurance help desk before admission, not after discharge. That is the step families miss, and it is the difference between cashless treatment and a reimbursement argument. Our comparison of government and private hospitals in Kochi is worth reading before you choose where to go.

Does the Ayushman card for over-70s work in Kerala?

Not as of the latest reports we could find. The Centre's Ayushman Vay Vandana card gives people aged 70 and above an extra Rs 5 lakh a year, shared by the over-70 members of a family, with no income limit. Kerala refused to implement it unless the premium was revised: the state proposed Rs 3,250 a year, while the Centre wanted it run at Rs 1,052, in line with KASP. In November 2025 Onmanorama reported that the scheme would not be implemented in Kerala for the time being. A Kerala Kaumudi report in October 2025 noted that residents could still register for the card through CSCs or the NHA portal, but that treatment under it was not available in Kerala. Kerala's government changed in May 2026, and we found no announcement from the new government that the card is being honoured.

That is a frustrating position for a state with so many elderly people, and it may change. Before you rely on a Vay Vandana card for an elderly parent in Kochi, ask at Akshaya or the hospital desk whether it is being honoured yet. In the meantime, an elderly person in a KASP family is already covered under KASP. For other help, see our guide to senior citizen services in Kochi, and keep the emergency numbers handy. More in guides.