PM Modi expands Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY to cover every Indian over 70. Check benefits

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expanded the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) to include all citizens aged 70 and above, irrespective of income. During an event at All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), Prime Minister Modi also handed over Ayushman Vay Vandana cards to some eligible senior citizens.

Addressing the event, PM Modi said, "There was a time when people's houses, lands, jewellery were sold for treatment. The soul of the poor trembled on hearing the cost of treatment for a serious disease. The helplessness of not being able to get treatment due to lack of money would shatter the poor. I could not see my poor brothers and sisters in this helplessness, that is why the 'Ayushman Bharat' scheme was born."

"The government decided that the government would bear the cost of treatment of the poor up to Rs 5 lakh. Around 4 crore poor people in the country have benefited from the Ayushman Bharat scheme," he added.

PM-JAY, recognised as the world’s largest government-funded health insurance initiative, provides up to Rs 5 lakh ($6,700) per family annually for secondary and tertiary medical care. The expansion now grants all senior citizens above 70 eligibility, adding to the existing coverage for more than 12 crore families, or roughly 55 crore individuals.

As part of the rollout, eligible senior citizens will receive a distinct PM-JAY card. Those already covered within the scheme will gain an additional Rs 5 lakh in exclusive coverage.

Eligible senior citizens covered under schemes like the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), and Ayushman Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) have the option to retain their existing plan or enroll in PM-JAY. Private insurance holders and those covered by the Employees’ State Insurance scheme can also access PM-JAY benefits.

With 30,529 hospitals, including 17,063 public and 13,466 private facilities across India, PM-JAY ensures extensive network access for beneficiaries.

PM-JAY aims to reduce catastrophic out-of-pocket healthcare expenses that push nearly 6 crore Indians into poverty each year. With this latest extension, PM-JAY beneficiaries, including the newly eligible senior citizens, can access cashless health services at any public or private empanelled hospital across the country. The scheme includes coverage for medical examinations, hospitalization, medicines, diagnostics, surgeries, and post-treatment follow-up, delivering a critical support network for elderly citizens.

The PM-JAY's Rs. 5 lakh coverage is designed on a family floater basis, usable by any or all family members.