Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 29th October launched Ayushman Vaya Vandana Cards under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) to provide health coverage to people aged 70 years and above, regardless of their income and economic status.
Key features
- The Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card provides an annual health cover of ₹5 lakh per family, specifically for members aged 70 years or older.
- If multiple elderly individuals reside in the same household, the cover will be shared among them.
- Beneficiaries must register through the PM-JAY portal or the Ayushman app, even if they already hold an Ayushman card, and complete the mandatory eKYC process to activate the new card.
- The expanded scheme comes at a crucial time, as India’s population ages rapidly.
- The Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card is designed to address the healthcare needs of this growing demographic, marking the first time any specific age group has received comprehensive health coverage in India.
- The new scheme will cover nearly 6 crore individuals from 4.5 crore families. Of these, 1.78 crore beneficiaries are already enrolled under the original Ayushman Bharat scheme.
- Additionally, 80 lakh individuals are covered by existing government health programs, such as the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) and Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS).
- Beneficiaries of these schemes can choose whether to continue with their current coverage or switch to Ayushman Bharat.
- In a unique feature, individuals insured under the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) will be eligible for both ESIC and Ayushman Bharat coverage, as their premiums are funded by employers and employees rather than the government.
