Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to announce health coverage for all citizens of 70 years and above under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) on October 29. Quoting official sources, news agency PTI-Bhasha gave this information on Sunday.Besides, U-WIN portal will also be launched, which will create an electronic register of routine vaccination. This portal is currently running on a pilot basis.Apart from these two, some other schemes will also be launched on Tuesday. The U-WIN platform, which is similar to the COVID-19 vaccine management system Co-WIN, is designed to keep permanent digital records of vaccination of pregnant women and children from birth to 17 years.
Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme is going to be expanded in the country from Tuesday.With the launch of free health insurance coverage up to Rs 5 lakh per annum for all senior citizens above 70 years of age, be it poor, middle class, upper middle class or rich, under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). In the future, every senior citizen of 70 years and above will be entitled to get Ayushman Card. They will get free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh in hospitals associated with AB PMJAY. About 6 crore people will benefit from this scheme and a new card will be issued to senior citizens.
As of September 1, 2024, a total of 29,648 hospitals have been empaneled under PMJAY, including 12,696 private hospitals.
The scheme is currently applicable in 33 states and union territories, except Delhi, Odisha and West Bengal.
According to Aadhar card, any person of 70 years of age or above can apply for this scheme. This is an application based scheme and people will have to register on the PMJAY portal or Ayushman App.
“Those who already hold an Ayushman card will have to apply for a new card again and complete their eKYC,” the source said.
Senior citizens aged 70 years and above who belong to families already covered under AB PM-JAY will get an additional top-up cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per year (which they will not share with other family members Who are below 70 years of age).
All other senior citizens will get a cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per year on a family basis.
Senior citizens aged 70 years and above who are in private health insurance schemes or Employees State Insurance Scheme can avail the benefits of this scheme.
However, those who are already availing the benefits of other public health insurance schemes such as Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) and Ayushman Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) can choose their existing scheme. Or you can choose the option of AB PM-JAY.
The scheme has covered 7.37 crore hospitalizations so far, of which 49 percent have been women beneficiaries. The Health Ministry had earlier said that the public has benefited from this scheme to the tune of more than Rs 1 lakh crore.
AB PM-JAY scheme has seen a steady increase in the number of beneficiaries. Initially the scheme covered the bottom 40 percent of poor and vulnerable families of India’s population.
In January 2022, the Center had increased the number of beneficiaries from 10.74 crore to 12 crore families as India’s population growth rate was 11.7 percent.
The scheme was further expanded to provide free health care benefits to 37 lakh ASHA/AWW/AWHs and their families working across the country.
