October 30, 2024 - Prime Minister Narendra  Modi yesterday, October 29, launched the Ayushman Bharat scheme for 70-plus citizens. Under this Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, senior citizens will have a special advantage to access healthcare.

This announcement was made on the occasion of Anant Chaturdashi and Ayurveda Day. Now elderly individuals will be able to receive free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh. This initiative is expected to benefit millions of elderly people.

Each member of the family who is 70 years of age or more will be eligible for a cover of Rs 5 lakh per year. This implies that the coverage will be divided between any two senior beneficiaries living in the same home.

“The elderly people, who always had anxieties about their healthcare because of costs, can now live with swabhimaan (dignity),” said Modi. The scheme will be available everywhere except Delhi and Bengal, since these States have not adopted Ayushman Bharat.

The PM presented Ayushman Vay Vandana cards to senior citizens at the All India Institute of Ayurveda in Delhi. He also inaugurated the country’s first helicopter ambulance service at AIIMS Rishikesh.

The U-WIN portal which will digitise routine vaccinations across the country was also rolled out by the PM.