Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday announced that the Centre has agreed to extend the reach of Ayushman Bharat scheme for senior citizens above 70 years. Under the extended plan, all senior citizens will get Rs 5 lakh free health insurance under Ayushman Bharat. It is expected to cover 6 crore senior citizens.
Senior citizens from families already covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme will receive an additional shared top-up cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per year. If senior citizens are currently covered under any central government health scheme, they will have the option to switch to Ayushman Bharat. This scheme operates on a demand-based system with an initial outlay of Rs 3437 crore, which can be increased as per demand.
“PM Narendra Modi had made a commitment that all senior citizens above the age of 70 years will be given coverage under Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana. There are many families which are already covered and have senior citizens. In such families, additional coverage, top-up coverage will be of Rs 5 lakh…,” Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
Top highlights:
1. All senior citizens of the age 70 years and above irrespective of their socio- economic status would be eligible to avail the benefits of AB PM-JAY.
2. The eligible senior citizens would be issued a new distinct card under AB PM-JAY.
3. Senior citizens whose families are already enrolled in the Ayushman Bharat scheme will be eligible for an extra shared top-up cover of up to Rs 5 lakh annually.
4. All other senior citizens of the age 70 years and above will get a cover up to Rs 5 lakh per year on a family basis.
5. Senior citizens of the age 70 years and above who are already availing benefits of other public health insurance schemes such as Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), Ayushman Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) may either choose their existing scheme or opt for AB PMJAY.
6. It has been clarified that senior citizens of 70 years and above who are under private health insurance policies or Employees’ State Insurance scheme will be eligible to avail benefits under AB PM-JAY.
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana is the world’s largest publicly funded health assurance scheme. This monumental program offers a health cover of up to Rs. 5 lakh per family annually for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to a staggering 55 crore individuals, equivalent to 12.34 crore families. Notably, all members of eligible families, regardless of age, are encompassed within the scheme’s coverage.
Evidencing its significant impact, AB PM-JAY has facilitated 7.37 crore hospital admissions, with an inclusion of 49 percent women beneficiaries. This has translated to a noteworthy benefit amount exceeding Rs. 1 lakh crore for the public under the scheme.
From its inception, the AB PM-JAY scheme has experienced a consistent growth in its beneficiary base. Initially targeting 10.74 crore impoverished and vulnerable families, representing the bottom 40% of India’s population, the scheme has progressively expanded its reach.
The Centre in January 2022, made revisions to the beneficiary base under AB PM-JAY, increasing it from 10.74 crore to 12 crore families to account for India’s decadal population growth of 11.7% since 2011. Furthermore, the scheme was expanded to include 37 lakh ASHAs/AWWs/AWHs and their families, providing them with free healthcare benefits. Building on this initiative, AB PM-JAY will now offer free healthcare coverage of Rs 5 lakh to all citizens aged 70 years and above nationwide.
The Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme, which commenced in 2015 and was followed by FAME-II in 2019, significantly contributed to the boost in electric vehicle (EV) sales in India. The conclusion of FAME-II in March 2024 resulted in a slowdown in the industry’s expansion. The Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme (EMPS) has been implemented as an interim measure to sustain the momentum of EV promotion until the advent of FAME-III.
Last month, the government extended the EMPS (Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme 2024) by two months till September 20, 2024, with an enhancement of outlay to Rs 778 crore.