The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved health coverage to all senior citizens of age 70 years and above irrespective of income under the flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). It aims to benefit about 4.5 crore families with six (6) crore senior citizens with free health insurance cover of Rs. 5 lakh on family basis.
With this approval, all senior citizens of age 70 years and above, irrespective of their socio-economic status, will be eligible to avail AB PM-JAY. Eligible senior citizens will be issued a new unique card under AB PM-JAY. Senior citizens aged 70 years and above from families already covered under AB PM-JAY will get an additional top-up cover of up to ₹5 lakh per year for themselves (which they will not have to share with other family members who are below 70 years of age). All other senior citizens aged 70 years and above will get a cover of up to ₹5 lakh per year on a family basis. Senior citizens aged 70 years and above who are already availing other public health insurance schemes like Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), Ayushman Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) can choose their existing plan or opt for AB PM-JAY. It is clarified that senior citizens aged 70 years and above who are under private health insurance policies or Employees State Insurance Scheme will be eligible to avail benefits under AB PM-JAY.
AB PM-JAY is the world's largest publicly funded health assurance scheme that provides health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per annum for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to 55 crore individuals from 12.34 crore families. All members of eligible families, irrespective of their age, are covered under the scheme. 7.37 crore beneficiaries including 49 per cent women beneficiaries have undergone hospitalization and treatment under the scheme. The public has benefited over Rs 1 lakh crore under the scheme. The extension of cover for senior citizens aged 70 years and above was first announced by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in April 2024.
The AB PM-JAY scheme has seen a steady expansion of the beneficiary base. Initially, 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families from the bottom 40% of India's population were covered under the scheme. Later, the Government of India revised the beneficiary base under AB PM-JAY from 10.74 crore to 12 crore families in January 2022, considering India's decadal population growth of 11.7% as compared to the 2011 population. The scheme was further expanded to provide free health care benefits to 37 lakh ASHA/AWW/AWW workers working across the country and their families. Taking the mission forward, AB PM-JAY will now provide free health care coverage of Rs 5 lakh to all citizens aged 70 years and above across the country.
