Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to launch the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) for senior citizens aged 70 and above by September 23, marking the sixth anniversary of the health insurance scheme, according to a government official.
The National Health Authority (NHA), which oversees PMJAY, is preparing to register eligible senior citizens through a dedicated portal.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the government has approved free, cashless health coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per year for seniors aged 70 and above, regardless of their income. This will benefit 60 million senior citizens across 45 million families. The government has allocated ₹3,437 crore for the scheme.
Although the exact launch date is not yet confirmed, the official stated that the Prime Minister may announce it soon, and the NHA is ready to implement the program.
Eligible senior citizens will receive a new health card linked to their Aadhaar number through the AB-PMJAY portal.
Currently, PMJAY covers families identified from the 2011 socioeconomic caste census. The scheme initially covered around 107.4 million poor and vulnerable families but was expanded to 120 million in January 2023. Additionally, earlier this year, the scheme extended to cover ASHAs, anganwadi workers, and their families.
Senior citizens who are part of families already covered under AB-PMJAY will get an extra ₹5 lakh health coverage per year, exclusively for their use.
Those currently covered by other public health schemes, such as CGHS, ECHS, or Ayushman CAPF, must choose between their existing coverage and PMJAY. Private health insurance holders or those under the Employees’ State Insurance Scheme will also be eligible for this new benefit.
AB-PMJAY is the world’s largest publicly funded health scheme, covering 550 million people.
Healthcare experts have praised this initiative but emphasized the need for fair reimbursement rates and timely payments to ensure smaller hospitals can manage the increased demand from senior citizens who require more medical care.
Dr. Harsh Mahajan, chair of the Ficci Health Services Committee, suggested that while this expansion is positive, smaller hospitals may struggle to meet the needs of senior citizens unless payments are processed efficiently and reimbursement rates are fair.
Queries to the Prime Minister’s Office and the Health Ministry for further clarification remain unanswered.
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