माणिक साहा आयुष्मान भारत पीएम-JAY के फैसले को "ऐतिहासिक कदम" बताया

Manik Saha calls Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY decision a "historic step"

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved health coverage to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, regardless of income, under the flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). This will benefit around 4.5 crore families, with six crore senior citizens getting free health insurance of Rs 5 lakh on a family basis. With this approval, all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their socio-economic status, will be eligible to avail PM-JAY.

Eligible senior citizens will be issued a new unique card under AB PM-JAY. Senior citizens aged 70 years and above belonging to families already covered under AB PM-JAY will get an additional top-up cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per year for themselves, which they will not have to share with other family members who are below 70 years of age. AB PM-JAY is the world's largest publicly funded health assurance scheme. It provides health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to 55 crore individuals from 12.34 crore families. All members of eligible families, irrespective of their age, are covered under the scheme. The scheme has covered 7.37 crore hospitalized people, including 49 per cent female beneficiaries.

The public has benefited more than Rs 1 lakh crore under the scheme. All other senior citizens aged 70 years and above will get cover up to Rs 5 lakh per year depending on the family. Senior citizens aged 70 years and above who are already availing other public health insurance schemes like Central Government Health Scheme, Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), Ayushman Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) can either choose their existing plan or opt for AB PMJAY. It is clarified that senior citizens aged 70 years and above who are covered under private health insurance policies or the Employees State Insurance Scheme will be eligible to receive benefits under AB PM-JAY, the press release said. AB PM-JAY is the world's largest publicly funded health assurance scheme that provides health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to 55 crore individuals from 12.34 crore families. The public has benefited over Rs 1 lakh crore under this scheme. The extension of cover to senior citizens aged 70 years and above has already been announced by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in April 2024.