A major announcement has been made for millions of senior citizens across the country. The central government has announced that all senior citizens over the age of 70 will now be covered under the PM Jan Arogya Yojana (Ayushman Bharat Scheme).
As a result, every senior citizen over 70 years of age in the country will be eligible for free medical treatment worth up to ₹5 lakh each year.
Under the current provisions, poor families across the country receive health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 lakh each year.
However, now all senior citizens over the age of 70 will be eligible for this benefit, regardless of their income or financial status. This decision by the government is expected to benefit 60 million senior citizens nationwide.
In a significant decision made during a crucial Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that all senior citizens above the age of 70 will be covered under the Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana.
He stated, "We have decided to provide universal health coverage under the Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana for our senior citizens over 70 years of age. This is a monumental decision, driven by a deep humanitarian perspective. They will receive free treatment up to ₹5 lakh, covering nearly 4.5 crore families, which includes approximately 6 crore senior citizens."
Under PM-JAY, beneficiaries are provided with cashless services in hospitals. The objective of PM-JAY is to reduce the out-of-pocket expenses for medical treatment.
This scheme covers all costs incurred up to 3 days before hospital admission and up to 15 days after discharge.