Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially inaugurated the extended health coverage plan for all individuals aged 70 years and above, irrespective of income, under the flagship program Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). The Union Cabinet had recently approved this plan, providing benefits to an estimated 6 crore pensioners aged 70 and above in India, representing about 4.5 crore families. Pensioners aged 70 and over, regardless of socio-economic status, are entitled to benefits according to AB PM-JAY. A new specialized card – Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card – is issued to all eligible pensioners under the AB PM-JAY scheme.

Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card

From October 29, individuals holding the Ayushman Vaya Vandana card can get free treatment worth up to Rs 5 lakh at any of the AB PMJAY hospitals under the extended scheme. The benefits of AB PM-JAY are now open to all pensioners aged 70 and over, regardless of their financial status. Under the expanded Ayushman Bharat Health Insurance scheme, elderly individuals will be provided with the Ayushman Vaya Vandana card. Owning this card can help reduce family expenses and ease worries.

“Now every senior citizen above 70 years of age will get free hospital treatment. These senior citizens will get Ayushman Vaya Vandana card. This scheme is expected to be a milestone. If an elderly person in the household has Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card, family expenses will be reduced, and their anxiety will also decrease,” said the Press Information Bureau at X.

The PIB release further said, “PM Narendra Modi said that every elderly person above the age of 70 years in the country will get free treatment at the hospital with an Ayushman Vaya Vandana card. Shri Modi emphasized that the card was universal and there were no restrictions on income, be it poor or middle class Shri Modi informed that the scheme would prove to be a milestone for its universal applicability, that with an Ayushman Vaya Vandana card for an elder in the house, the Out-of-Pocket expenses will reduce to a large extent. He congratulated all the countrymen for this program and also informed that the program was not implemented in Delhi and West Bengal.”

Main functions

Health Cover: Eligible pensioners are entitled to an annual health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh for treatments at nationwide hospitals.

Universal access: The card is available to all pensioners over 70, regardless of income level.

Family Benefit: If multiple elderly individuals live in the same household, the Rs 5 lakh cover can be shared between them.

Enrollment Process: Beneficiaries have to enroll through the PM-JAY portal and complete an eKYC process to activate their cards, even if they already have an Ayushman card.

How to apply

To access health cover, individuals need to register on PMJAY portal or Ayushman app. Existing Ayushman cardholders must also apply on the portal or app and complete their eKYC for a new card.