AYUSHMAN FOR SENIOR CITIZENS: SIMILAR SCHEMES TO COVER WOMEN AND CHILDREN, OR PATIENTS WITH TERMINAL ILLNESSES LIKE CANCER, IS HOW IT MUST EXPAND.

CENTRAL GOVERNMENT has announced extension of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (ABPM-JAY) to all senior citizens aged 70 and above, irrespective of their socio-economic status. It now covers an additional six crore senior citizens.

- JOE C. MATHEW

ABPM-JAY, launched six years ago, is the world's largest government-funded health insurance scheme in terms of coverage. It provides health cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to 55 crore beneficiaries in 33 states and Union Territories, excluding Delhi, Odisha and West Bengal, and provides cashless inpatient services for all pre-existing diseases from day one. It covers 1,949 medical procedures across 27 specialties such as general medicine, surgery, oncology and cardiology. It also provides hospital services, including 15-day medication post discharge, diagnostics (up to three days before admission), food and lodging. The scheme operates through a robust IT platform. The services are paperless and cashless. Beneficiaries from one state can avail treatment in any empanelled hospital across India.