Ayushman Bharat: Health Insurance for All Over 70

In a landmark decision, the Union government has extended health insurance coverage to all citizens aged 70 and above under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). This move, approved by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to provide health cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year, benefiting millions of senior citizens across the country.

The AB PM-JAY, recognized as the world’s largest publicly funded health assurance scheme, is set to impact over 4.5 crore families, including six crore senior citizens. With this new provision, every individual aged 70 years and above will now be eligible for coverage, regardless of their socio-economic background. “The eligible senior citizens would be issued a new distinct card under AB PM-JAY,” the government stated.

Additional Health Benefits for Senior Citizens

For senior citizens aged 70 and above, belonging to families already enrolled under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme, there will be an additional top-up cover of ₹5 lakh. This benefit is exclusively for seniors and does not need to be shared with other family members under 70.

Moreover, senior citizens who are part of other public health insurance schemes like the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), or Ayushman Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) will have the option to choose between their existing schemes or opt for AB PM-JAY.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reaffirming the government’s commitment to healthcare, posted on X (formerly Twitter), “We are committed to ensuring accessible, affordable and top-quality healthcare for every Indian.”

We are committed to ensuring accessible, affordable and top quality healthcare for every Indian. In this context, the Cabinet today has decided to further expand the ambit of Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY to provide health coverage for all citizens above 70 years. This scheme will…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 11, 2024

Impact and Expansion of Ayushman Bharat Health Insurance

The Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme has already transformed public healthcare in India. Since its launch, over 7.37 crore hospital admissions have been recorded under the scheme, with 49% of the beneficiaries being women. The total benefits provided to the public under AB PM-JAY exceed ₹1 lakh crore.

Initially, the scheme covered 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families, representing the bottom 40% of India’s population. However, in January 2022, the government revised the beneficiary base to include 12 crore families, in response to India’s decadal population growth of 11.7% based on the 2011 census.

In April, Prime Minister Modi had already announced the extension of this coverage to senior citizens aged 70 and above. Now, the expansion has come into effect, marking another significant step in making healthcare accessible for all.

Free Coverage for ASHAs and Healthcare Workers

The government has also extended the AB PM-JAY scheme to provide free healthcare coverage to 37 lakh Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs), including their families.

With the latest expansion, AB PM-JAY will now provide healthcare coverage worth ₹5 lakh annually to all citizens aged 70 and above, regardless of their prior inclusion in the scheme. This ensures that elderly citizens across the country have access to quality healthcare services at no cost.

The government’s continued efforts to expand the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme reflect its mission to provide affordable and high-quality healthcare to all segments of the population, particularly the most vulnerable.