Union Cabinet Expands Health Coverage to Senior Citizens Under Ayushman Bharat

New Delhi: In a major step towards ensuring healthcare for India’s elderly population, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved comprehensive health coverage for all senior citizens aged 70 years and above under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). This expansion will benefit approximately 6 crore senior citizens, providing them with ₹5 lakh of free health insurance annually on a family basis, regardless of their income.

This development, building on PM Modi’s earlier announcement in April 2024, significantly broadens the scope of the world’s largest publicly funded health assurance program. The new coverage offers vital healthcare protections for senior citizens, reducing their financial burden from medical costs.

• Eligibility for All Senior Citizens (70+): All citizens aged 70 and above are now eligible for AB PM-JAY benefits, without regard to socio-economic status. A unique health card under AB PM-JAY will be issued to them.
• Additional Top-Up for Existing Families: Senior citizens from families already covered under AB PM-JAY will receive an additional top-up of ₹5 lakh per year, exclusively for their own healthcare needs. This amount is independent of the existing family health cover and will not be shared with younger family members.
• Option for Existing Scheme Beneficiaries: Senior citizens covered under other public health schemes, such as the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), Ayushman CAPF, or private health insurance, will have the option to continue with their existing scheme or shift to AB PM-JAY.

The inclusion of senior citizens in AB PM-JAY is expected to deliver significant relief, especially by improving access to secondary and tertiary care hospitalization. AB PM-JAY currently covers 12.34 crore families, ensuring free healthcare for over 55 crore individuals. Since its launch, the scheme has facilitated 7.37 crore hospital admissions, with 49% of beneficiaries being women. The overall healthcare benefits disbursed have exceeded ₹1 lakh crore.

With this latest expansion, the scheme now reaches senior citizens who were previously ineligible, reflecting the government’s commitment to inclusive and equitable healthcare for all.

The government has consistently expanded AB PM-JAY to cover more vulnerable populations. Initially, 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families were included in the scheme. In 2022, the base was revised to 12 crore families to accommodate population growth, and was further extended to cover 37 lakh ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs).