India
Ayushman Bharat insurance scheme expanded to cover senior citizens above 70 | India News – Times of India
NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday approved health insurance for all senior citizens aged 70 and above, irrespective of their income, under its flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), irrespective of their socio-economic status.
Announcing the Cabinet decision in an address to the media, Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that this will benefit about 4.5 crore families, with six (6) crore senior citizens receiving Rs 5 lakh free health insurance on a family basis.
Seniors who qualify for this initiative will receive a new, unique card that entitles them to the benefits of the scheme.
In addition, people already insured under AB PM-JAY will be provided with an additional supplementary cover of up to ₹5 lakh per year, exclusively for senior citizens, without having to share it with other family members below the age of 70.
Meanwhile, seniors aged 70 and above who already benefit from other public health insurance schemes such as CGHS, ECHS or Ayushman CAPFhave the option to continue with their current plan or switch to AB PM-JAY.
Seniors in this age category who are insured through private health insurance or through employee insurance State insurance are still eligible for benefits under AB PM-JAY.
The extension of coverage to seniors aged 70 and above was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2024.
AB PM-JAY, the world’s largest government-funded health insurance scheme, provides health insurance of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisations to 55 crore individuals, equivalent to 12.34 crore families. The scheme covers all family members irrespective of age and has already covered 7.37 crore hospitalisations, with 49 per cent of the beneficiaries being women. The public has benefited a total of over Rs. 1 lakh crore from the scheme.
Announcing the Cabinet decision in an address to the media, Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that this will benefit about 4.5 crore families, with six (6) crore senior citizens receiving Rs 5 lakh free health insurance on a family basis.
Seniors who qualify for this initiative will receive a new, unique card that entitles them to the benefits of the scheme.
In addition, people already insured under AB PM-JAY will be provided with an additional supplementary cover of up to ₹5 lakh per year, exclusively for senior citizens, without having to share it with other family members below the age of 70.
Meanwhile, seniors aged 70 and above who already benefit from other public health insurance schemes such as CGHS, ECHS or Ayushman CAPFhave the option to continue with their current plan or switch to AB PM-JAY.
Seniors in this age category who are insured through private health insurance or through employee insurance State insurance are still eligible for benefits under AB PM-JAY.
The extension of coverage to seniors aged 70 and above was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2024.
AB PM-JAY, the world’s largest government-funded health insurance scheme, provides health insurance of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisations to 55 crore individuals, equivalent to 12.34 crore families. The scheme covers all family members irrespective of age and has already covered 7.37 crore hospitalisations, with 49 per cent of the beneficiaries being women. The public has benefited a total of over Rs. 1 lakh crore from the scheme.
