ABHA vs. Aadhaar: Differences and Similarities

Nationwide Applicability

Usable across India for a wide range of identity-based services. These include government schemes (e.g., subsidies, pensions), banking services, mobile SIM verification, and more, making it universally recognized.

Enables seamless access to healthcare services across integrated healthcare providers throughout the country. It allows the portability of electronic health records, ensuring individuals receive consistent care regardless of location.

Digitization Focus

Supports India’s transition toward e-governance by digitizing identity verification, enabling faster access to services such as Direct Benefit Transfers (DBTs) and digital banking.

Drives the digital transformation of healthcare, allowing the secure creation, storage, and sharing of electronic health records (EHRs) and promoting cashless and efficient healthcare delivery.

Accessibility

Available free of cost, with a straightforward enrollment process that requires minimal documentation. Enrollment centers are widespread, ensuring accessibility for all residents, including those in remote areas.

Offered free of cost, with a quick and user-friendly online registration process. It can be created using Aadhaar or other identity documents, making it easily accessible to anyone seeking to digitize their healthcare records.

Privacy and Security

Operates under the Aadhaar Act, which mandates stringent measures to protect biometric and demographic data. Sharing of Aadhaar data requires legal authorization or user consent, ensuring security and privacy.

Built on a consent-based system, ABHA ensures individuals have full control over the sharing of their health records. Patients can choose which records to share and with whom, guaranteeing secure and privacy-respecting data exchange.

Purpose

The Aadhaar Card provides a universal identity for Indian residents and serves as proof of identity and address for accessing government and private services. It is a foundational document for verifying an individual’s existence in the national database.

The ABHA Card is designed specifically to digitise healthcare. It links an individual’s medical records to a digital identity, enabling seamless access to healthcare services such as diagnoses, treatments, and prescriptions.

Issuing Authority

Issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The Aadhaar system manages biometric and demographic data of over a billion residents.

Issued by the National Health Authority (NHA) under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), it focuses on creating a unified digital healthcare ecosystem in India.

Primary Function

Acts as a proof of identity and residence for Indian residents, facilitating access to a wide array of services, including financial, telecommunication, and governmental benefits. Aadhaar is used extensively for Direct Benefit Transfers (DBTs) and income tax filings.

Functions as a health identity document that simplifies the storage, retrieval, and sharing of personal health records. It enables users to receive cashless treatment at integrated hospitals, track their medical history, and provide consent-based access to doctors.

Data Stored

Includes biometric data (fingerprints, iris scans, and photographs) and demographic details (name, date of birth, gender, address). The data is stored centrally in a secure database managed by UIDAI.

Links a person’s electronic health records (EHRs), such as medical reports, prescriptions, and lab results, with their unique health ID. These records are not stored centrally; instead, they are linked via a federated architecture, ensuring privacy and security.

Scope of Use

Widely used across all sectors, including government schemes (e.g., LPG subsidies, ration cards), financial services (e.g., bank account verification), and private services (e.g., mobile number verification). It is a multi-purpose identity document.

Specifically designed for the healthcare sector. It allows access to medical services, portability of health records across integrated healthcare providers, and integration with existing health systems like the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS).

Mandatory Status

Aadhaar has become mandatory for availing several government schemes, filing income taxes, and linking with services like PAN cards and bank accounts. It acts as a backbone for many administrative processes.

ABHA is voluntary but strongly recommended for those seeking to leverage the benefits of India’s growing digital healthcare ecosystem, including cashless treatments and accessible medical records.

Uniqueness

Each individual is assigned a 12-digit Aadhaar number that is unique to them and serves as a singular proof of identity.

Each individual receives a 14-digit ABHA number along with an optional ABHA address to make sharing of health records simple and user-friendly.