In a significant achievement, the enrolment for the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card has reached an impressive milestone of 25 lakh in a span of less than two months of its launch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Treatments worth more than Rs 40 crore have been availed since the launch of this card benefitting more than 22000 senior citizens aged 70 years and above. Senior citizens have taken treatment for various conditions such as Coronary Angioplasty, Hip fracture/replacement, Gallbladder removal, Cataract Surgery, prostate resection, Stroke, hemodialysis, enteric fever and other febrile illness etc.
On October 29, PM Modi announced the expansion of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) to include all senior citizens aged 70 years and above. Under the expansion, all senior citizens aged 70 years and above are receiving “Ayushman Vay Vandana Card” which will help them avail healthcare benefits.
The Ayushman Vay Vandana Card provides Rs 5 lakh free health cover to all senior citizens of the age 70 years and above irrespective of their socio-economic status. Senior citizens of the age 70 years and above belonging to families already covered under AB PM-JAY get an additional top-up cover up to Rs 5 lakh per year for themselves. Senior citizens who are already availing benefits of various government schemes including Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), and Ayushman Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) have to choose between their existing scheme or opt for AB PM-JAY. Additionally, persons covered by private health insurance coverage or members of the Employees’ State Insurance scheme are eligible to benefit from AB PM-JAY.
The card offers treatment for around 2000 medical procedures and covers all pre -existing diseases from the first day itself without any waiting period. Senior citizens aged 70 or above who are eligible for this scheme can register through multiple channels. They can visit the nearest empanelled hospital for registration.