Ayushman Bharat Expands: Free Treatment for Elderly Citizens

In a significant health policy announcement, President Droupadi Murmu revealed that every Indian citizen aged above 70 years will now receive free treatment under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme. This announcement was made during her address to the joint sitting of Parliament.

The Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), the world’s largest publicly funded health insurance scheme, already provides free health services to 55 crore beneficiaries. With the new expansion, the scheme aims to include all elderly citizens above 70 years of age, offering them free treatment and health services.

President Murmu also highlighted the progress in the establishment of 25,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras across the country, which provide affordable generic medicines to the public.

AB-PMJAY offers health coverage of ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to 12 crore families. The scheme operates under the guidelines of Hospital Empanelment and Management (HEM), with State Health Agencies (SHAs) responsible for the empanelment of hospitals.

This expansion of the Ayushman Bharat scheme underscores the government’s commitment to providing comprehensive healthcare to its citizens, ensuring that even the elderly receive necessary medical attention without financial burden.