Free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh: Union Cabinet expands Ayushman Bharat coverage to include senior citizens aged 70 and above

PTC Web Desk: In a significant move, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved extending health coverage to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, regardless of their income, under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).

Following the Cabinet meeting, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pledged to include senior citizens over the age of 70 in the scheme. He further explained that families already covered under AB-PMJAY with senior members would receive an additional Rs 5 lakh in top-up insurance. This decision is expected to benefit around six crore senior citizens from 4.5 crore families.

Eligible beneficiaries will be provided with a new, unique card under this expanded scheme, ensuring they have access to healthcare benefits. For those senior citizens already enrolled in other public health insurance schemes such as the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), or Ayushman CAPF, they will have the option to either continue with their current coverage or switch to AB-PMJAY.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on social media platform X, reaffirmed the government's commitment to providing accessible and affordable healthcare for all citizens. He said the expanded coverage would offer dignity, care, and security to six crore senior citizens.

AB-PMJAY is currently the world’s largest publicly funded health insurance initiative, offering Rs 5 lakh in health coverage per family annually for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisations. The scheme has so far supported 55 crore individuals across 12.34 crore families, with over 7.37 crore hospital admissions, including nearly half of the beneficiaries being women. The total benefits provided under the scheme have exceeded Rs 1 lakh crore, according to government figures.