PM Modi extends Ayushman Bharat scheme for people above 70 years; Bengal and Delhi excluded

The national health scheme aims to provide comprehensive coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh for hospitalisation expenses.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday extended government's flagship health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above on Tuesday.

An elderly person wanting to avail the benefits of the scheme must hold an "Ayushman Vay Vandana Card". The Prime Minister, however, said elderly in Delhi and Bengal won't be able to benefit from Ayushman Bharat as their governments are not implementing it for “political reasons.”

"As a major addition to the flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)," PM Modi launched the expansion of health coverage to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above. "This will help provide health coverage to all senior citizens regardless of their income," a government press release stated.

This national health scheme aims to provide comprehensive coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh for hospitalisation expenses. “But regrettably, political interests have hindered its implementation in your states [Delhi and Bengal],” PM Modi said.

Also Read: Ayushman Bharat scheme: Why senior citizens over 70 need separate health insurance covers despite PM-JAY

"I extend my apologies to senior citizens aged 70 and above living in Delhi and West Bengal. Unfortunately, due to the state governments' decision not to participate in the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, I will be unable to provide assistance," he said.

Be it poor, middle class, upper middle class or rich, every individual who is 70 years and above is eligible for getting Ayushman card and will receive free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh at any of the AB PMJAY empanelled hospitals.

The AB PM-JAY scheme has witnessed continuous expansion of the beneficiary base, it said, adding that initially, 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families comprising the bottom 40 per cent of India's population were covered under the scheme.

In January 2022, the Centre revised the beneficiary base from 10.74 crore to 12 crore families considering India's decadal population growth of 11.7 per cent over the 2011 population.