President Droupadi Murmu has declared that every Indian citizen aged above 70 years will now receive free treatment under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme.
Speaking at a joint session of Parliament on Thursday, President Murmu highlighted the government’s commitment to expanding healthcare access for senior citizens.
“The government is set to make another pivotal decision in this area. From now on, every elderly person above 70 years of age will also be covered and get the benefit of free treatment under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana,” President Murmu stated.
The Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), recognised as the world’s largest publicly funded health insurance scheme, currently provides health services to 55 crore beneficiaries.
The scheme offers a health cover of ₹5 lakh per family annually for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to 12 crore families.
In addition to this, President Murmu also mentioned the rapid progress in the establishment of 25,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras across the country, aimed at providing affordable medicines to the populace.
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The Hospital Empanelment and Management (HEM) guidelines for the AB-PMJAY mandate State Health Agencies (SHAs) with the responsibility of empanelling hospitals under the scheme, ensuring a broad network of healthcare providers for beneficiaries.
This announcement follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment made during a Lok Sabha campaign rally in Nalbari in April, where he assured health benefits for individuals above 70 years old under the Scheme.
“Let Modi take care of your aging parents, grandfathers, and other senior citizens in the family. From now on, their health concerns are Modi’s concern. Under the Ayushman Yojana, we will provide benefits of up to ₹5 lakh, irrespective of their financial situation,” PM Modi had stated.
The initiative aims to provide comprehensive healthcare to senior citizens, ensuring that financial constraints do not hinder access to necessary medical treatments.
This move is expected to significantly enhance the quality of life for millions of elderly citizens across India.
