On Wednesday, the Union Cabinet authorized the expansion of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) to include all elderly citizens aged 70 and above, regardless of their income.
After the Cabinet meeting, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a commitment that all senior citizens above the age of 70 years will be given coverage under Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana. There are many families that are already covered and have senior citizens. In such families, additional coverage, top-up coverage will be Rs 5 lakh.”
Ayushman Bharat Scheme To Cover 6 Crore Elders
According to the minister, the program will provide six crore elderly individuals from 4.5 crore families with free health insurance of Rs five lakh. According to the initiative, eligible beneficiaries will receive a new, unique card, he continued.
Senior citizens 70 years of age and older who are currently receiving benefits from other public health insurance programs, such as the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), or the Ayushman Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), are reportedly able to choose between AB-PMJAY and their current program.
PM Modi Assures Affordable Healthcare
In a post on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “We are committed to ensuring accessible, affordable, and top-quality healthcare for every Indian. In this context, the Cabinet has decided to expand the ambit of Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY further to provide health coverage for all citizens above 70 years. This scheme will ensure dignity, care, and security for six crore citizens.”
According to the government, AB PM-JAY is the largest publicly sponsored health assurance program in the world. It offers 12.34 crore families, or 55 crore persons, yearly health coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.
No matter their age, all members of the qualifying households are covered by the program. 7.37 crore hospital admissions have been covered by the program, with 49% of recipients being women. According to the announcement, the initiative has provided over Rs 1 lakh crore in benefits to the public.
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