With ₹3,437 Cr Impetus, Govt Expands Ayushman Bharat Scheme, Free for People Above 70

New Delhi, Nov 29: The Government of India has expanded the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) to provide free healthcare coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per year for all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, regardless of their socio-economic status.

According to the reports  under the enhanced scheme, approximately 14 lakh Ayushman Vay Vandana cards have already been issued as of November 25, 2024. The initiative aims to benefit an estimated 6 crore senior citizens across 4.5 crore families nationwide.

The scheme covers cashless healthcare services for 1,961 procedures across 27 medical specialties, including General Medicine, Orthopedics, Cardiology, and Oncology. Critical treatments such as Hemodialysis, Total Hip and Knee Replacements, Acute Ischemic Stroke management, and Permanent Pacemaker Implantation are included. States have also been given the flexibility to tailor Health Benefit Packages to local needs.

To implement this program, an estimated expenditure of ₹3,437 crore has been outlined, with ₹2,165 crore allocated as the central share for FY 2024-25 and 2025-26. As of October 31, 2024, a total of 29,870 hospitals have been empanelled under AB-PMJAY, of which 13,173 are private facilities.

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, provided this update in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, emphasizing the government’s commitment to ensuring accessible and quality healthcare for senior citizens.