The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). Under this scheme, all senior citizens aged 70 years and above will receive health coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per year, regardless of their income or socio-economic status.
AB PM-JAY expansion aims to benefit approximately 6 crore senior citizens across 4.5 crore families. The updated policy will issue a distinct AB PM-JAY card to eligible seniors.
Eligibility For AB PM-JAY Scheme:
Senior citizens aged 70 years and above, whether part of a family already covered under AB PM-JAY or not, will receive up to Rs 5 lakh in health insurance coverage per year.
For those already covered under AB PM-JAY, this will be an additional top-up specifically for their healthcare needs, not to be shared with younger family members.
Benefits Of AB PM-JAY Scheme:
Seniors already benefiting from other public health insurance schemes such as the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), or Ayushman Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) can choose to either continue with their current scheme or opt for the enhanced AB PM-JAY coverage.
AB PM JAY:
AB PM-JAY remains the world's largest publicly funded health assurance scheme, providing Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization. The scheme now covers 55 crore individuals across 12.34 crore families, with over 7.37 crore hospital admissions recorded to date, benefiting the public to the tune of over Rs 1 lakh crore.
AB PM-JAY is set to further its mission of providing wide healthcare coverage to all senior citizens across the nation.
