Policyholders will soon require ABHA ID to buy or renew insurance policies. Here’s how you can create one

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai), has directed all insurers to get a unique Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) ID for new and existing policyholders. Under this scheme, the government will collect policyholders’ health-related information and store it under their unique ABHA IDs.

Naval Goel, Founder and CEO of PolicyX.com, said, “ABHA IDs are excellent, covering all health-related details in one place. Digitalising all this data in one place brings transparency and ease of access for the bearer of the ID and the healthcare provider. People can share their medical records seamlessly and find healthcare across the nation. This takes healthcare to a completely hassle-free experience.”

While the ABHA ID will help identify policyholders digitally, it will provide better healthcare benefits to all citizens.

How to create your ABHA ID number 

The regulator has asked insurers to provide a facility to capture 14-digit ABHA ID in the proposal form. Further, to generate Ayushman Bharat Health ID (ABHA ID), you can visit insurers’ websites and intermediaries (third-party administration or TPA) and obtain consent to access medical records via ABHA/ABDM (Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission). While insurers are integrating the process, you can currently follow these steps to create a new ABHA account using Aadhaar.

1. Visit website healthid.ndhm.gov.in

2. Enter your Aadhaar card number or Use a Driving Licence for registration.

3. Provide the OTP sent to a registered mobile number for verification.

4. A 14-digit Digital Health Card or ABHA will be generated immediately.

Once an ABHA account is created successfully, you can use such ID to buy a new policy or provide it to your insurer at the time of renewal. There are no eligibility criteria to obtain ABHA ID. The regulator said, “It would be beneficial for the insurers to capture the ABHA number of policyholders if already existing or help create one for them after obtaining their consent.”

What policyholders should know 

The government will maintain records of individuals’ health-related information through ABHA IDs. With the help of ABHA ID, you will not have to register at hospitals before getting treated. This will speed up the hospitalisation and claims processes. Moreover, you must also note that all your health records will be stored in the Ayushman Bharat Health Account. For instance, it will include details of surgeries, medical illnesses, tests, reports, etc. It will enable insurers to access the comprehensive medical information of policyholders efficiently. Hence, help them with speedy claims servicing, and also policyholders will not face any claim rejection at the time of hospitalisation due to any medical discrepancies. The regulator said, “It would give insurers easy and timely access to a person’s medical information in a safe and paperless manner-even helping the individual with a transparent and speedy process of claim servicing.”