Health Cover for All Aged 70 and Above under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana

Health Cover for All Aged 70 and above under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana

Context:

Recently, the Union Cabinet cleared the expansion of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PM-JAY) to cover all senior citizens aged 70 years and above to provide health coverage worth Rs 5 lakh.

Relevance:
GS-02 (Government policies and interventions)

Key highlights:

The union cabinet has extended AB PM-JAY to provide health coverage to all citizens aged 70 years and above, regardless of their income levels.
Currently, AB PM-JAY only targeted the bottom 40% of the population economically based on their income levels. It provided Rs 5 lakh shared annual health coverage to all members of eligible families.
Under the new extension, all citizens aged 70 years and above will receive Rs 5 lakh annual coverage per family.
Approximately 6 crore additional people in the 70+ age group, from 4.5 crore families, are expected to benefit from this expansion.
Eligible senior citizens will be issued a new card under PM-JAY for availing of the additional benefits.
Senior citizens aged 70 and above, who are already covered under AB PM-JAY, will receive an additional (shared) top-up cover up to Rs 5 lakh per year.