New Delhi: The government has successfully issued 14 lakh Ayushman Vay Vandana cards for senior citizens aged 70 years and above under the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) as of November 25, 2024. Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, shared this update in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, highlighting the expansion of the AB-PMJAY scheme to cover senior citizens regardless of their socio-economic status.
The expanded provisions of AB-PMJAY now offer free medical treatment benefits of up to Rs 5 lakh per year on a family basis for all senior citizens aged 70 and above. The government estimates that 4.5 crore families, or approximately 6 crore individuals, are eligible for this benefit across the country.
The scheme is supported by a network of 29,870 empanelled hospitals, including 13,173 private hospitals, where beneficiaries can avail of cashless healthcare services. The healthcare coverage includes a wide range of 1,961 medical procedures across 27 specialties, such as General Medicine, General Surgery, Orthopedics, Cardiology, and Oncology.
This move is part of the government’s continued efforts to ensure that senior citizens have access to essential healthcare services, improving their quality of life and providing financial protection against medical expenses.
