Last month, the Centre expanded the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana to allow coverage for all senior citizens aged 70 years and above.
The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) is one of the most famous initiatives taken by the Indian government. And for the past six years, it has been offering health coverage to the senior citizens of the country with benefits up to Rs 5 lakh per family on an annual basis. By covering the secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation of the masses, the scheme has targeted 12 crore families or approximately 55 crore individuals.
In fact, around 35.4 crore Ayushman cards have been distributed so far, and it is active in 33 states and union territories. However, it does not cover NCT Delhi, West Bengal, and Odisha.
While the AB PM-JAY has broadened healthcare access across the nation, the initiative has now been extended as of September 9, 2024. And now the coverage has been expanded to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above. With the latest development, the scheme would impact around 6 crore elderly individuals, and provide them easy access to healthcare services. Now, all the eligible seniors will get a distinct card, which would give them additional coverage options.
For now, AB PM-JAY offers Rs 5 lakh coverage and aims to benefit around 55 crore beneficiaries belonging to 12 crore families. On a total, each family is entitled to an annual health coverage of Rs 5 lakh and it includes both secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation services, which can be accessed across public and private empanelled hospitals across India.
> Senior citizens who benefit from schemes like Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), or Ayushman Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) can pick either their existing scheme or enrol in AB PM-JAY.
> Individuals covered under any private health insurance or the Employees’ State Insurance scheme can take benefits by AB PM-JAY.
> With the expansion of the scheme, senior citizens aged 70 and older will get a new, separate card. Those senior citizens in families, who were already enrolled in AB PM-JAY, will get an additional top-up cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per year.
> Senior citizens, who are not included in an existing AB PM-JAY family, will get a coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh annually on a family basis.
All the hospitals listed under Ayushman Bharat offer cashless treatment to eligible beneficiaries:
> Head to the official Ayushman Bharat website at pmjay.gov.in.
> Click on the 'Find Hospital' option in the top menu.
> Pick your state and district.
> Look for the type of hospital you want, be it government or private hospital.
> Input the captcha code shown on the screen.
> Click 'Submit' to and find the list of registered hospitals in your area.
Follow the steps for the eligibility for the Ayushman Bharat health insurance:
> Head to the Eligibility Section of the website and click on the 'Am I Eligible' option.
> Add the mobile number and input the OTP number you get on it.
> Pick your state, and add your ration card number.
> Click on 'Submit' to verify your eligibility status.
