Now road accident victims can avail cashless treatment under Pradhan Mantri Rahat Road Accident Victim Hospitalization and Assured Treatment (PM Rahat) Scheme, as per a release from the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways The aim of the scheme is that no life is lost due to a lack of immediate medical assistance after a road accident.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the launch of the PM Rahat Scheme.

The release says road accident victims, Rah-Veer (good samaritans), or any person at an accident site may dial 112 to obtain details of the nearest designated hospital and request ambulance assistance, enabling swift coordination between emergency responders, police authorities and hospitals.

Also read: Top 10 insurers with highest number of complaints in handling health insurance; Star, Care and Niva among top 3

Under the scheme, all eligible road accident victims on any category of road will be eligible for cashless treatment up to Rs 1.5 lakh per victim for seven days from the accident date. After police validation on an integrated digital system, stabilisation treatment will be taken care for a maximum of 24 hours in non-life-threatening instances and up to 48 hours in life-threatening cases.

Under the scheme, reimbursement to hospitals will be made through the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVAF). In cases where the offending vehicle is insured, payment will be drawn from contributions made by general insurance companies.

The government would use budgetary allocation to pay for hit-and-run and uninsured instances. The state health agency will pay claims that are accepted within 10 days, giving hospitals financial stability and promoting continuous care.

According to the ministry release, the PM Rahat scheme is implemented through a robust, technology-driven framework amalgamating the Electronic Detailed Accident Report (eDAR) platform of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways with the Transaction Management System (TMS 2.0) of the National Health Authority.

This integration will help in digital linkage from accident reporting to hospital admission, police authentication, treatment administration, claim processing and final payment. However, police confirmation is required within defined timelines 24 hours for non-life-threatening cases and 48 hours for life-threatening cases, this will ensure accountability while allowing uninterrupted emergency care.

The government also offers the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), a one-year personal accident insurance scheme that is renewable annually. The scheme provides financial protection against death or disability caused by accidents, with a premium of Rs 20 per member per year.

In case of death: Rs 2 lakh
In case of the total and irrecoverable loss of both eyes, or the loss of the use of both hands or both feet, or the loss of the sight of one eye along with the loss of the use of one hand or one foot: Rs 2 lakh
In case of total and irrecoverable losses of the sight of one eye, or the loss of the use of one hand or one foot: Rs 1 lakh