Everyone Above 70 To Be Covered Under Universe Health Coverage, 4.5 Cr Families To Benefit: Centre

The scheme would benefit around 4.5 crore families with 6 crore senior citizens with Rs 5 Lakh free health insurance cover on a family basis, the statement said.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the health coverage to all the senior citizens aged 70 years and above under the flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, a government statement said on Wednesday.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw lauding the cabinet decision as a "major step" said that all senior citizens above the age of 70 years will be covered under universal health coverage.

"It has been decided to cover our senior citizens who are more than 70 years old under universal health coverage, Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana. This is a very big decision. There is a great humanitarian thinking in this decision," Vaishnaw said after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday evening. 

The move will benefit around 4.5 crore families with 6 crore senior citizens with Rs 5 Lakh free health insurance cover on a family basis, the statement said.

"With this approval, 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," it said.

The senior citizens aged 70 years and above belonging to families already covered under AB PM-JAY will get an additional top-up cover upto Rs 5 lakh per year for themselves, while all other senior citizens will get a cover upto Rs 5 lakh per year on a family basis.

Meanwhile, those senior citizens, who are already availing benefits of other public health insurance schemes such as Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), Ayushman Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), may either choose their existing scheme or opt for AB PMJAY, the government said.

"AB PM-JAY is the world's largest publicly funded health assurance scheme which provides health cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to 55 crore individuals corresponding to 12.34 crore families. All members of the eligible families irrespective of age are covered under the scheme. The scheme has covered 7.37 Crore hospital admissions including 49 percent women beneficiaries. The public has benefited to the extent of over Rs. 1 Lakh crore under the scheme," the statement said.

Earlier, over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families comprising the bottom 40 percent of the population were covered under the AB PM-JAY scheme.

In January 2022, the government revised the beneficiary base under the scheme from 10.74 crore to 12 crore families. The scheme was further expanded to cover 37 lakh ASHAS/AWWS/AWHS working across the country and their families for free healthcare benefits.