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In just eleven days since the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) was expanded to include individuals aged 70 and above, the scheme has seen a surge in enrollments from elderly beneficiaries.
According to data from the National Health Authority, nearly 6.5 lakh elderly individuals have enrolled and received Ayushman cards within this period. Kerala leads in new enrollments of senior citizens, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Haryana. The Ayushman Bharat PMJAY scheme provides free medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh per family annually. With the recent expansion announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, those above 70 years of age can also benefit from health insurance services under this scheme. This extension has generated significant interest, with over 6 lakh new senior beneficiaries joining within days of the announcement. PMJAY, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 23, 2018, in Ranchi, Jharkhand, aims to increase healthcare accessibility for poor and disadvantaged families by providing comprehensive health insurance coverage. The scheme covers cashless treatment, including costs for medicines, consultations, surgeries, ICU care, and other medical expenses. Earlier on September 11, the Union Cabinet had approved health coverage for all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of income, under the flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). 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 Prime Minister announced the expansion of PMJAY saying, "Every senior citizen in the country aged 70 and above will receive free hospital treatment through the Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card." AB PM-JAY is the world's largest publicly funded health assurance scheme, which provides health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to 55 crore individuals, corresponding to 12.34 crore families. All members of the eligible families, irrespective of age, are covered under the scheme. The scheme has covered 7.37 crore hospital admissions, including 49 percent of women beneficiaries. The public has benefitted to the extent of over Rs. 1 lakh crore under the scheme. Later, the Government of India, in January 2022 revised the beneficiary base under AB PM-JAY from 10.74 crore to 12 crore families considering India's decadal population growth of 11.7 % over 2011 population. The scheme was further expanded to cover 37 lakh ASHAs/AWWs/AWHs working across the country and their families for free healthcare benefits. (ANI)
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