Ayushman Vaya Vandana: Free health care for citizens who are 70 or older

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expanded health insurance coverage under a scheme called Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) to all citizens aged 70 years and above.

 

The expansion will approximately 6 million senior citizens, providing them with free health insurance coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family annually, regardless of income levels.

 

What is the Ayushman Vaya Vandana card?

 

"Now, every senior citizen above the age of 70 will receive free treatment in hospitals. These senior citizens will be issued the Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card. This scheme is expected to be a milestone. If an elderly person in the household has the Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card, family expenses will be reduced, and their worries will also diminish," said the Press Information Bureau on X.

 

Key features of Ayushman Vaya Vandana

 

Health coverage: Each eligible senior citizen will receive an annual health cover of Rs 5 lakh for treatments at empaneled hospitals across India.

 

Universal access: The card is available to all senior citizens over 70, without any income restrictions on income

 

Family benefit: If multiple elderly individuals reside in the same household, the Rs 5 lakh coverage can be shared among them.

 

Registration process: Beneficiaries must register through the PM-JAY portal and complete an eKYC process to activate their cards, even if they already hold an Ayushman card, and complete the mandatory eKYC process to activate the new card.

 

Those availing benefits of Central Government Health Scheme and Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme will have the option to choose between existing schemes or PMJAY. Those with private health insurance can also avail of Ayushman Bharat coverage, providing them with an additional health safety net.