All citizens above 70 years to be covered under insurance scheme: Centre

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday (September 11) approved health coverage to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above irrespective of income under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

The coverage aims to benefit six crore senior citizens from 4.5 crore families with Rs 5 lakh free health insurance cover.

Eligible beneficiaries will be issued a new distinct card under the scheme, the government said.

The expansion of cover to senior citizens of the age of 70 years and above was earlier announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April.

"With this approval, all senior citizens of the age 70 years and above irrespective of their socio-economic status would be eligible to avail the benefits of AB PM-JAY. The eligible senior citizens would be issued a new distinct card under AB PM-JAY. The senior citizens of the age 70 years and above belonging to families already covered under AB PM-JAY will get an additional top-up cover upto Rs 5 lakh per year for themselves (which they do not have to share with the other members of the family who are below the age of 70 years).

"All other senior citizens of the age 70 years and above will get a cover upto Rs 5 lakh per year on a family basis. Senior citizens of the age 70 years and above who are already availing benefits of other public health insurance schemes such as Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), Ayushman Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) may either choose their existing scheme or opt for AB PMJAY. It has been clarified that senior citizens of 70 years and above who are under private health insurance policies or Employees’ State Insurance scheme will be eligible to avail benefits under AB PM-JAY," the government said in a statement.