Within three weeks of the Ayushman Vay Vandan Card scheme being rolled out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, more than ten lakh senior citizens aged 70 and above have already enrolled for it, enabling them to access free healthcare benefits under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna( ABPM-JAY).

Significantly, around four lakh enrolments under the card are by females. Since the launch of the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card, treatments worth over Rs nine crore have been authorised, benefiting more than 4,800 senior citizens aged 70 and above, including over 1,400 women. These treatments cover a range of conditions, including coronary angioplasty, hip fractures/replacement, gallbladder removal, cataract surgery, prostate resection, and stroke, among others.

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It was on the occasion of Dhanvantari Jayanti and Ayurveda Day, October29, that Mr Modi inaugurated multiple health sector projects worth approximately Rs 12,850 crore here at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA). Marking a transformative step in healthcare, he announced that every senior citizen aged 70 and above would receive free treatment in hospitals. Such elderly individuals will be provided with the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card, granting them access to comprehensive healthcare benefits under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).

This initiative has already seen significant participation, with over 10 lakh senior citizens enrolling for the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card, ensuring themselves of free treatment and support under the scheme.

The Vay Vandana Card is an important aspect of AB PM JAY initiative that strengthens the idea of making healthcare accessible to all. Launched by the PM on September 23, 2018, it reflects India’s commitment to Universal Health Coverage. This scheme, part of the broader Ayushman Bharat initiative has redefined the nation’s approach to healthcare by offering substantial health coverage to its most vulnerable citizens.

Today, PM-JAY proudly holds the title of the world’s largest health assurance scheme, extending comprehensive secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation benefits of up to Rs 5 lakh per family annually and encompassing nearly 55 crore individuals that form the bottom 40 per cent of the Indian population. The households included are based on the deprivation and occupational criteria of Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 (SECC 2011) for rural and urban areas respectively.

PM JAY covers a broad range of services that include, among others, medical examinations, treatment, and consultations, pre-hospitalisation expenses, medicine and medical consumables,non-intensive and intensive care services,diagnostic and laboratory investigations, medical implantation services, accommodation and food services, treatment complications and post-hospitalisation follow-up care up to 15 days.

Unlike its predecessor, the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), which limited coverage to families of five members, PM-JAY has no cap on family size or age. This inclusive structure also ensures that pre-existing diseases are covered from day one, allowing patients to receive treatment immediately upon enrolment.

Since its launch, PM-JAY has made notable strides in its implementation. A total of 35,45,10,568 cards have been generated, cumulatively, 6,50,59,465 hospital admissions have been authorised, with 17,36,903 admissions in the last 30 days and 28,540 just yesterday, currently, there are 30,745 empanelled hospitals, comprising 17,084 public and 13,661 private institutions and the total value of authorised admissions amounts to Rs 81,979.07 crore , with Rs 2,314.77 crore in the last 30 days and Rs 47.25 crore yesterday.

A significant expansion to PM-JAY was approved by the Union Cabinet this September 11, which promises transformative health insurance coverage for senior citizens aged 70 and above. This move aims to extend benefits to approximately six crore senior citizens across 4.5 crore families. Under this expansion, it was announced that all senior citizens in this age group will receive a new distinct card under AB PM-JAY to access the scheme’s benefits.