Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: In a significant step towards providing comprehensive healthcare to the elderly, the Union government has announced the extension of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) to cover all citizens aged 70 and above. This decision, approved by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to provide health coverage to 4.5 crore families, benefiting approximately six crore senior citizens.
Under this initiative, senior citizens aged 70 and above will be eligible for free health insurance worth ₹5 lakh per year on a family basis, irrespective of their socio-economic status. A new distinct card will be issued to eligible seniors under the AB PM-JAY scheme.
For those already covered under the scheme, an additional top-up of ₹5 lakh per year will be provided exclusively for senior citizens, ensuring that this amount does not need to be shared with other family members under 70. The scheme also allows senior citizens currently benefiting from other public health insurance schemes, such as the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) or Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), to choose between their existing plans or the AB PM-JAY.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the government’s commitment to providing accessible, affordable, and high-quality healthcare to all citizens, reaffirming the importance of this expansion.
Senior citizens enrolled in private health insurance policies or the Employees’ State Insurance Scheme (ESI) will also be eligible for AB PM-JAY benefits. As the world’s largest publicly funded health assurance initiative, AB PM-JAY offers ₹5 lakh coverage per family annually for secondary and tertiary healthcare, benefiting 12.34 crore families and covering 55 crore individuals.
Since its inception, the scheme has facilitated over 7.37 crore hospital admissions, with nearly 49% of the beneficiaries being women. The government has stated that the public has saved over ₹1 lakh crore through this program. The expansion to include senior citizens aged 70 and above was first announced by Prime Minister Modi in April.
The government continues to expand the scheme, which initially covered 10.74 crore vulnerable families. The base was revised in 2022 to cover 12 crore families, taking into account the country’s population growth. Further, healthcare coverage has been extended to 37 lakh Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs) and their families, ensuring widespread healthcare benefits across India.
This latest initiative extends the mission to provide healthcare coverage to all senior citizens aged 70 and above, marking a significant milestone in the government’s efforts to improve healthcare access for the elderly population.
