Modi govt extends Ayushman Bharat $6,000 insurance cover to all nationals aged 70 and above
Ayushman Bharat Health Insurance Scheme
Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Indian government on Wednesday (Sep 11) green-lighted a $6,000 (INR 500,000) health coverage plan for all senior citizens aged 70 and above. The plan, launched under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), will cover all senior citizens, irrespective of economic status.
The decision was taken at the meeting of the Union Cabinet on Wednesday.
According to the Indian government, Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana is the world's largest publicly funded health assurance scheme. The scheme covers 550 million families, regardless of the age of family members.
The government said the new insurance plan is set to benefit more than 45 million Indian families across the country.
“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 government said in a release.
As of now, INR 3,437 crore have been earmarked for the scheme, a figure the government says will increase with time.
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“This is a demand-based scheme; as the demand goes up, the coverage will also be increased,” said Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav while sharing the cabinet meet decisions.
How to avail the new scheme?
To avail benefits of the new insurance plan, senior citizens will receive a separate card under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).
The citizens who are already covered under previous AB PM-JAY plans will get an additional top-up for $6,000 per annum.
Senior citizens who are availing benefits of some other government policy will have the choice of either continuing their current plan or opting for the new scheme.
Major achievements of AB PM-JAY
According to government data, more than 73 million hospital admissions have been covered under the scheme so far, with almost 50 per cent of the beneficiaries being women.
Also, members of the public have benefitted by more than ₹1 lakh crore through this healthcare initiative.
(With inputs from agencies)