Indian govt expands Ayushman Bharat coverage of ₹5 lakh to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above

In a significant step towards enhancing geriatric care for India's elderly, the government has announced the flagship Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) that will provide coverage for all individuals aged 70 and above, regardless of their income.

AB PM-JAY is the world's largest publicly funded health assurance scheme which provides health coverage of ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalizations.

“All senior citizens of the age 70 years and above, irrespective of their socio-economic status, would be eligible to avail the benefits of AB PM-JAY. The eligible senior citizens would be issued a new distinct card under AB PM-JAY. The senior citizens of the age 70 years and above belonging to families already covered under AB PM-JAY will get an additional top-up cover up to ₹5 lakh per year for themselves," read a government press release.

The scheme covers 55 crore people from 12.34 crore families, regardless of the age of family members, and a total of 7.37 crore hospital admissions have been covered under the scheme, with 49% of beneficiaries being women, the government statement said.

Coverage overview: This plan provides free health insurance of up to ₹5 lakh per year on a family basis, benefiting 4.5 crore families and 6 crore senior citizens.

New AB PM-JAY Cards: Eligible senior citizens will receive a new, special card under the AB PM-JAY scheme.

Additional coverage for seniors: Senior citizens aged 70 and above, who are already covered under AB PM-JAY, will receive an extra top-up of up to ₹25 lakh per year.

Choosing your health insurance: Seniors aged 70 and above who are already using other public health insurance schemes can either keep their current plan or switch to AB PM-JAY.

About 4.5 crore families are expected to gain from this program, which will offer free health insurance coverage of ₹5 lakh per family to about 6 crore elderly people.

Seniors who are 70 years of age or more would receive family health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 lakh annually.

Individuals who are currently enrolled in other public health insurance programs, such as Ayushman Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), or Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), may choose to enroll in AB PM-JAY or keep their current plan.

Seniors covered by employees' state insurance programs or by private health insurance policies will also be protected by the new regulations.