| In Short |
| ₹5 lakh health insurance is now available for all senior citizens aged 70 and above under Ayushman Bharat. |
| The scheme is expected to benefit 6 crore senior citizens across 4.5 crore families. |
| New health cards will be issued to eligible seniors, simplifying access to healthcare services. |
| The expansion will cost around ₹3,437 crore, with the central government covering most of the costs. |
| The scheme mainly covers inpatient care, with gaps in outpatient services. |
It is a paradigm shift, as the government has also included senior citizens above 70 years, irrespective of income levels or socio-economic background, under AB-PMJAY. The Union Cabinet decided on September 11, 2024, and passed this move led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to boost healthcare coverage for about 6 crore elderly people across 4.5 crore families.
What Does the Expansion Entail?
Thus, the expanded Ayushman Bharat scheme will assure ₹5 lakh of annual health cover per family to all senior citizens above 70 years. This is a leap forward for the elderly population in order to tackle their rising age and medical expenses. Critical coverage for secondary and tertiary hospital care, including but not limited to surgery, serious condition treatments, and all other specific medical special care.
Senior-Specific Health Cards
It also has introduced a new provision in the program, providing different types of health cards available, especially for senior citizens. The card will make it easier for elderly people to avail services under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme without any delay. In the case of multiple seniors within the family, the ₹5 lakh cover shall be shared amongst them. Moreover, all those who are already covered under private insurance or through some other public schemes, such as the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) or Employees’ State Insurance (ESI), are also entitled to choose Ayushman Bharat if it suits their needs.
Addressing the Needs of an Aging Population
The rapid greying of the Indian population will see the number of senior citizens rise to 347 million by 2050. This was an opportune expansion of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, considering the increasing requirement for healthcare towards the elderly in the country. The Centre had sanctioned nearly ₹3,437 crore to each state in order to help fund the expansion, with most of the costs from the central government
Challenges and Limitations
While being hailed as a game-changing scheme, there are still several shortcomings. Most noticeably, Ayushman Bharat remains predominantly an inpatient care-oriented scheme; thus, outpatient services, which form a large chunk of healthcare expenses in India, do not fall under this ambitious endeavor. Several studies have estimated outpatient care to be close to 40-80% of healthcare expenditure within the country, therefore there remains a likely shortfall in insurance coverage for regular needs.
A Big Step Toward Health Security
This expansion of the Ayushman Bharat scheme goes a long way in strengthening healthcare access for senior citizens and offers much-needed relief in these times of rising medical costs. Though there are limitations, this move is a seminal step in ensuring the country’s greying population gets the required care without suffering from crippling medical expenses.
This is yet another bold step by the government to further expand the reach of Ayushman Bharat and make healthcare more accessible to India’s elderly. However, closing the gaps in outpatient care remains an essential next step for India’s healthcare.
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