In Haryana, if a person from a Scheduled Caste (SC) family suffers from a serious disease of the kidney, heart, liver, cancer or brain and needs major surgery, the cost of treatment can run into lakhs of rupees. For such families there is the central government’s Dr. Ambedkar Medical Aid Scheme — under it, 100% of the estimated cost of treatment is paid directly to the hospital, up to a ceiling fixed for each disease, with a maximum of Rs 3.5 lakh.
But before understanding the scheme, one thing must be made clear — the myScheme Haryana list carries it as “Dr. Ambedkar Medical Aid Scheme (Revised – 2009)”, but that is the old 2009 version. The scheme has been revised twice since then, and the latest revision is “Revised-2026” (Dr. Ambedkar Foundation communication, 27 July 2026). This guide treats the 2026 rules as the current ones, and shows the older rules as history. Also, this is a central government scheme — Haryana’s SEWA Department (earlier the SC & BC Welfare Department) is the state channel, and applications from Haryana go through that route.
Scheme at a Glance
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Scheme name | Dr. Ambedkar Medical Aid Scheme (Revised-2026); the myScheme Haryana list carries it as “(Revised – 2009)” |
| Implementing agency | Dr. Ambedkar Foundation, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India |
| State channel in Haryana | SEWA Department (earlier SC & BC Welfare Department) / District Welfare Officer (DSWO) / Deputy Commissioner’s office |
| Assistance | 100% of the estimated cost of treatment, up to a ceiling fixed for each disease; maximum Rs 3.5 lakh |
| Who gets it | SC/ST patients who need surgery or specialised treatment for a serious / life-threatening disease |
| Income limit | Annual family income below Rs 5 lakh (2026 revision) |
| How to apply | Offline — on the prescribed form or on plain paper; the application must reach the Foundation at least 15 days before the date of treatment |
| Last date | None — applications are accepted throughout the year (but reaching the Foundation 15 days before treatment is the real deadline) |
How Much Assistance Will You Get?
This scheme pays 100% of the estimated cost of treatment — but every disease has a fixed ceiling. Any cost above the ceiling must be borne by the patient.
| Treatment | Maximum assistance |
|---|---|
| Kidney surgery / dialysis | Up to Rs 3.50 lakh |
| Kidney / organ transplant | Up to Rs 3.50 lakh |
| Cancer surgery / chemotherapy / radiotherapy | Up to Rs 2.50 lakh |
| Brain surgery | Up to Rs 2.00 lakh |
| Heart surgery | Up to Rs 1.50 lakh |
| Spinal surgery | Up to Rs 1.50 lakh |
| Other life-threatening disease | Up to Rs 2.00 lakh |
The assistance is not paid to the patient — it is sent directly to the hospital’s bank account by NEFT/RTGS. And one more rule — the assistance from the Foundation and from other sources together must not exceed the total estimated cost of the treatment.
The Biggest Confusion — Three Different Sets of Figures
Searching for this scheme throws up figures from three different periods, because the scheme has been revised three times. The table below shows which figure belongs to which period — and which one applies today.
| Version | Income limit | Assistance |
|---|---|---|
| Around 2010 (Lok Sabha answer, 22 November 2010) | Annual income up to Rs 1 lakh | 75% of the estimated cost, maximum Rs 1 lakh |
| DAF website version (2018 revision; still shown on the site in April 2026) | Annual income below Rs 3 lakh | 100% of the estimated cost; ceilings — kidney Rs 3.5 lakh, cancer Rs 1.75 lakh, brain Rs 1.5 lakh, heart Rs 1.25 lakh, spinal/other Rs 1 lakh |
| Revised-2026 (DAF communication, 27 July 2026; confirmed by state government circulars) | Annual income below Rs 5 lakh | 100% of the estimated cost; ceilings — kidney Rs 3.5 lakh, cancer Rs 2.5 lakh, brain/other Rs 2 lakh, heart/spinal Rs 1.5 lakh |
The most important warning: the Dr. Ambedkar Foundation’s own website was still showing the old (Rs 3 lakh income limit) version in April 2026, even though the revised rules came into force with the July 2026 communication. This guide therefore treats the 2026 rules as current — but confirm the latest rules with the Foundation or your District Welfare Officer before applying.
The second confusion — the “Rs 5 lakh” claim. In September 2026 a district welfare officer said that “assistance of up to Rs 5 lakh will be given” — that is a misunderstanding. Rs 5 lakh is the income limit, not the assistance limit. The largest assistance amount is Rs 3.5 lakh (for kidney surgery/dialysis and transplantation).
Who Is Eligible?
Every condition below must be fulfilled — if even one is missed, the application will not be considered.
| Condition | Details |
|---|---|
| Community | Belong to the Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) community (in Haryana, effectively SC in practice — see below) |
| Income | Annual family income below Rs 5 lakh |
| Disease | Suffering from a kidney, heart, liver, cancer, brain or other life-threatening disease requiring surgery or specialised treatment |
| Hospital | Treatment at a recognised hospital (list given below) |
| PM-JAY | Patients covered under PM-JAY are not eligible — except for kidney transplantation, which is not covered under PM-JAY |
| Timing | The application must reach the Foundation at least 15 days before the fixed date of treatment |
One special point — there is no notified Scheduled Tribe (ST) community in Haryana. The state’s list has 37 Scheduled Castes and the BC Block ‘A’/’B’ castes; there is no ST list. So in practice, only SC applicants from Haryana can benefit from this scheme — the ST mention in the scheme rules is at the national level.
Who Is NOT Eligible?
If any of the situations below applies, the application will not be considered — check yourself against this list before applying.
- Not belonging to the SC/ST community — this scheme is only for SC/ST patients.
- Annual family income of Rs 5 lakh or more — those above the income limit are excluded.
- Disease not in the scheme’s list — such as an ordinary illness or a minor operation; only surgery or specialised treatment for a serious/life-threatening disease is covered.
- Treatment outside a recognised hospital — no assistance is given for treatment at a hospital outside the list (see the one exception below).
- Covered under PM-JAY — except for kidney transplantation, PM-JAY-covered patients are not eligible under this scheme.
- Treatment already done and expenses already incurred — this scheme is for planned treatment; it does not reimburse past expenditure.
Which Diseases Are Covered?
These serious/life-threatening diseases are covered under the scheme:
- Kidney disease — surgery, dialysis, transplantation
- Heart disease — surgery
- Liver disease — surgery
- Cancer — surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy
- Brain disease — surgery
- Organ transplantation
- Spinal surgery
- Other life-threatening diseases
Read the liver point carefully: liver is named in the list of diseases, but no separate assistance ceiling has been published for it — neither in the older version nor in the 2026 revision. The “other life-threatening disease” ceiling of Rs 2 lakh is the closest published figure, but whether the same rate applies to liver surgery has not been separately confirmed. Liver patients must ask the Foundation or the District Welfare Officer before applying.
Recognised Hospitals
Assistance is given only for treatment at recognised hospitals. The guidelines name 10 hospitals, and whole categories are also recognised.
| No. | Hospital |
|---|---|
| 1 | All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi and AIIMS in other States |
| 2 | Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute (SGPGI), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh |
| 3 | Patna Medical College Hospital, Patna, Bihar |
| 4 | Jabalpur Hospital and Research Centre, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh |
| 5 | B. Barua Cancer Institute, Guwahati, Assam |
| 6 | Birla Heart Foundation, Kolkata, West Bengal |
| 7 | Kalinga Hospital Ltd., Bhubaneswar, Odisha |
| 8 | Tata Cancer Research Institute, Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| 9 | Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Hyderabad, Telangana |
| 10 | Voluntary Health Services, Chennai, Tamil Nadu |
Besides these, the following categories are also recognised — CGHS-approved hospitals; all State Government Medical Colleges and their attached hospitals; hospitals recognised by the State Government; hospitals fully funded by the Central or State Government; and Government hospitals at district headquarters/major towns where treatment facility for these diseases is available. Haryana’s Government Medical Colleges (such as PGIMS, Rohtak) and district hospitals fall in this category. There is also one exception — if the Chairperson is personally convinced of the genuineness and justification in a case, treatment at a hospital outside the approved list can also be allowed.
Documents Required
These documents must be submitted with the application — if even one paper is missing, the case will stall.
| No. | Document | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Application form (prescribed format) or application on plain paper in the prescribed format | With the patient’s photograph |
| 2 | Recent passport-size photograph of the patient | Attach with the application |
| 3 | Original estimated cost certificate | Signed by the Medical Superintendent of the concerned hospital; it should contain the date fixed for surgery |
| 4 | Income certificate (latest) | Self-attested copy; issued by the Deputy Commissioner’s office |
| 5 | Caste certificate (SC/ST) | Self-attested copy |
| 6 | Ration card / Aadhaar card | Of the patient; self-attested copy |
| 7 | Kidney transplant documents | Donor details (name, age, address, blood group, Aadhaar) + proof of relationship with the patient (Authorisation Committee certificate, Form 14) |
| 8 | Certificate of total assistance | That the total assistance from the Foundation and other sources does not exceed the estimated cost |
| 9 | Bank account details of the hospital | For sending the approved amount directly to the hospital |
How to Apply?
The application for this scheme is offline — no online portal or SARAL service has been verified for this scheme. Apply by following the steps below.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Get the estimated cost certificate from the recognised hospital — signed by the Medical Superintendent, with the date of surgery mentioned |
| 2 | Fill the application form — get the prescribed form from the DAF website (ambedkarfoundation.nic.in), or write on plain paper in the prescribed format; attach the patient’s photograph |
| 3 | Gather the documents — income certificate, caste certificate, ration card/Aadhaar, estimated cost certificate (see the list above) |
| 4 | Recommendation/forwarding — under the older guidelines the application had to be recommended by a member of the General Body of the Dr. Ambedkar Foundation / the local Member of Parliament / the District Magistrate & Collector / Deputy Commissioner of the concerned district / the Secretary in-charge of Health & Social Welfare of the State; the 2026 circulars do not repeat this condition — ask your District Welfare Officer (DSWO) before sending the application |
| 5 | Send the application — to the Director, Dr. Ambedkar Foundation, 15 Janpath, New Delhi – 110001; it must reach at least 15 days before the date of treatment (see the address dispute below) |
| 6 | After approval, the amount will be sent directly to the hospital; after treatment the hospital will submit the utilisation certificate and final bills; any unused amount must be returned to the Foundation |
Fee, Timeline and Status Check
- Fee: no application fee is written in the guidelines.
- Timeline: no disposal timeline is published — no number of days is stated. The real deadline is that the application must reach the Foundation at least 15 days before the fixed date of treatment.
- Status check: no arrangement for checking status online has been published — check the status on the Foundation’s phone numbers (011-2335 7625, 011-2335 0576) or with your District Welfare Officer.
- RTS: no timeline under the Right to Service (RTS) for this scheme was found on any official source — no number of days is stated.
- Address dispute: the 2026 circulars give the address as “15 Janpath, New Delhi – 110001”; the guidelines PDF gives “West Block-1, Wing-VII, Ground Floor, R.K. Puram, New Delhi – 110066”. Confirm the latest address with the Foundation before mailing.
How Is the Money Paid? — Directly to the Hospital
After approval, the amount is not paid to the patient — it is sent directly to the hospital’s bank account by NEFT/RTGS, at 100% of the estimated cost of treatment, up to the ceiling fixed for the disease. No money comes into the patient’s account, so the question of “when will the money come” is linked to the hospital, not the patient.
After the treatment, the hospital must submit the utilisation certificate and final bills to the Foundation. If any sanctioned amount remains unused, it must be returned to the Foundation within the prescribed period.
- The assistance from the Foundation and from other sources together must not exceed the estimated cost of the treatment.
- Expenses already incurred are not covered — the application must be made before the treatment.
- If the cost of treatment exceeds the fixed ceiling, the remaining amount must be borne by the patient/family.
Understand the Difference — This Scheme vs Other Schemes
Medical assistance schemes look similar to each other, but every scheme has different conditions, amounts and departments. Applying under the wrong scheme will only waste time.
- This scheme — Dr. Ambedkar Medical Aid (central) — one-time assistance for surgery for a serious disease, paid directly to the hospital; SC/ST, income below Rs 5 lakh; maximum Rs 3.5 lakh.
- Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY (central) — health insurance of Rs 5 lakh a year; patients covered under PM-JAY are not eligible under this scheme (except for kidney transplantation).
- Chirayu Yojana (Haryana) — Haryana’s extension of PM-JAY, free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh; whether Chirayu card holders are also excluded from this scheme is not separately clarified in the 2026 circular — ask the District Welfare Officer.
- Financial Assistance to Persons Suffering from Rare Diseases (Haryana, SEWA) — Rs 3,200 a month to patients with a rare disease; this is a monthly assistance, not a one-time surgery assistance.
- PMSBY (central) — accident insurance of Rs 2 lakh at a premium of Rs 20 a year; this is not a scheme for treatment of disease, it is accident insurance.
- CMHIS — Nagaland’s Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme; it has nothing to do with Haryana — it was mentioned in the early 2026 circulars in the Nagaland context.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. How much assistance will I get under this scheme?
100% of the estimated cost of treatment, up to the ceiling fixed for the disease — maximum Rs 3.5 lakh. Rs 3.5 lakh for kidney surgery/dialysis and kidney/organ transplantation, Rs 2.5 lakh for cancer, Rs 2 lakh for brain surgery and other life-threatening diseases, Rs 1.5 lakh for heart and spinal surgery. The amount is paid directly to the hospital, not to the patient.
2. What is the income limit?
Annual family income below Rs 5 lakh — this is the limit under Revised-2026 (DAF communication, 27 July 2026). Note — the Foundation’s own website was still showing the old Rs 3 lakh limit in April 2026. Confirm the latest limit with the Foundation or the District Welfare Officer before applying.
3. Can PM-JAY or Chirayu card holders apply?
Patients covered under PM-JAY are not eligible — except for kidney transplantation, which is not covered under PM-JAY. Whether the same rule applies to holders of the Chirayu Yojana (Haryana’s PM-JAY extension) is not separately clarified in the 2026 circular — ask the District Welfare Officer before applying.
4. Where should the application be sent?
To the Director, Dr. Ambedkar Foundation, 15 Janpath, New Delhi – 110001 — as per the 2026 circulars. The application must reach at least 15 days before the fixed date of treatment. There is also a dispute — the guidelines PDF gives an R.K. Puram address — confirm the latest address with the Foundation before mailing.
5. Can ST (Scheduled Tribe) patients from Haryana apply?
The scheme rules name both SC and ST, but there is no notified ST community in Haryana — the state’s list has 37 Scheduled Castes and no ST list. So in practice, only SC applicants from Haryana can benefit.
6. How much assistance is given for liver surgery?
Not separately confirmed. Liver is named in the list of diseases, but no separate assistance ceiling has been published for it — neither in the older version nor in the 2026 revision. The “other life-threatening disease” ceiling of Rs 2 lakh is the closest published figure, but whether the same rate applies to liver surgery has not been separately confirmed — ask the Foundation or the District Welfare Officer.
7. Will past medical expenses be reimbursed?
No. This scheme is for planned treatment — the application must reach the Foundation at least 15 days before the date of treatment. Expenses already incurred are not covered under this scheme.
8. Will the application be online?
No — offline. No online portal or SARAL service has been verified for this scheme. The prescribed form is available on the Foundation’s website; in Haryana the form was earlier hosted on haryanascbc.gov.in, which no longer opens — the department is now the SEWA Department (sewa.haryana.gov.in). The form can also be obtained from your District Welfare Officer.
9. How long will approval take?
No disposal timeline is published in the guidelines — no number of days can be stated. What is certain is that the application must reach 15 days before the treatment, and the amount is sent directly to the hospital after approval. If there is a delay, ask on the Foundation’s phone numbers (011-2335 7625, 011-2335 0576).
10. What is the “Rs 5 lakh” claim — is assistance of up to Rs 5 lakh given?
No — Rs 5 lakh is the income limit, not the assistance limit. The misunderstanding spread from a statement by a district officer. The largest assistance amount is Rs 3.5 lakh (for kidney surgery/dialysis and transplantation).
Official Links and Contact
The links below are from official sources. The myScheme detail page could not be verified, so myScheme is cited by its list entry number, not by a link.
- DAF Medical Aid page: ambedkarfoundation.nic.in/medical.html — scheme details, eligibility, documents, hospitals, assistance ceilings
- DAF website: ambedkarfoundation.nic.in — form and latest guidelines
- Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment: dosje.gov.in
- myScheme — Haryana schemes: myScheme Haryana list, entry 147 — detail-page slug not verified
- DAF phone: 011-2335 7625, 011-2335 0576 (as per the DAF contact page)
- DAF address: Director, Dr. Ambedkar Foundation, 15 Janpath, New Delhi – 110001 (as per the 2026 circulars; the PDF also carries an R.K. Puram address — see above)
- State channel in Haryana: SEWA Department (sewa.haryana.gov.in) / your district’s District Welfare Officer (DSWO) / Deputy Commissioner’s office — the old website haryanascbc.gov.in no longer opens
- Related guides — Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY: Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY Haryana | Rare Diseases Assistance Rs 3,200: Financial Assistance to Persons Suffering from Rare Diseases | PMSBY Rs 2 Lakh Insurance: Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana
Disclaimer
This guide was prepared on 9 November 2026 from available official sources — the Dr. Ambedkar Foundation’s website (ambedkarfoundation.nic.in/medical.html), the state government circulars on “Dr. Ambedkar Medical Aid Scheme (Revised-2026)” (DAF communication, 27 July 2026; Nagaland DIPR circulars, August–September 2026), the Lok Sabha answer (22 November 2010) and the PIB year-end achievement (Rs 153.73 lakh to 64 beneficiaries in FY 2025-26). The most important point: the Foundation’s own website was still showing the old (Rs 3 lakh income limit) version in April 2026, even though the revised rules came into force with the July 2026 communication. The assistance amount, eligibility and process can change — confirm the latest information from the Dr. Ambedkar Foundation (011-2335 7625, 011-2335 0576) or your District Welfare Officer before applying. Where sources differ or information could not be verified (especially the current income limit and assistance ceilings, the ceiling for liver surgery, the PM-JAY/Chirayu rule, the recommendation condition, the Foundation’s postal address, the RTS timeline and the online application arrangement), the guide says so clearly. Viksit Haryana is not an official portal of any government department.
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