Thursday, 11 Sep, 2025
As of September 17, 2024, over 35.45 crore Ayushman cards have been issued under the AB-PMJAY across the country. Image Source: IANS
All senior citizens, regardless of income, who are 70 years of age or older will be covered by health insurance under this decision.
On September 11, 2024, the Union Cabinet took a huge step forward by approving the expansion of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). All senior citizens, regardless of income, who are 70 years of age or older will be covered by health insurance under this decision. Approximately 4.5 crore families—including 6 crore senior citizens—will gain from this expansion by getting free health insurance up to Rs 5 lakh per family. With this approval, all elderly citizens in this age range—regardless of their socioeconomic standing—will be eligible to receive benefits from the system.
Ayushman Bharat is a major health scheme that was introduced in 2018 with the goal of providing universal health care, especially for vulnerable and rural populations. The mission aims to implement transformative interventions that address health needs comprehensively across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.
The goal of Ayushman Bharat is to execute innovative treatments that cover every facet of basic, secondary, and tertiary healthcare. It has two interconnected parts and employs a continuum of care approach- a) Ayushman Arogya Mandir and b) Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri - Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).
Establishing Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAM), formerly known as Health and Wellness Centers (AB-HWCs), is the first step towards implementing Ayushman Bharat. A wide range of medical services, such as preventative, promotional, rehabilitative, and curative care, are provided by these Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. In order to improve access to healthcare in both rural and urban areas, these centres are being built by modernising Sub Health Centers (SHCs) and Primary Health Centers (PHCs), both rural and urban. By providing Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC), the objective is to bring healthcare services closer to communities.
As of September 12, 2024, there are 1,74,453 Ayushman Arogya Mandir across the country. These include 1,12,617 Sub Health Centres, 23,903 Primary Health Centres, 5,123 Urban Primary Health Centres, 5,632 Urban Health and Wellness Centres and 12,178 Ayush-related Centres.
Source: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
As of September 17, 2024, over 35.45 crore Ayushman cards have been issued under the AB-PMJAY across the country. The scheme is currently operational in 33 States and Union Territories (UTs) except the NCT of Delhi, West Bengal, and Odisha.
The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) is the world’s largest publicly funded health assurance scheme.It offers health coverage for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation up to Rs. 5 lakh per family annually. The AB PM-JAY program's beneficiary base has been expanding significantly. In January 2022, the Government of India extended its coverage from 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families to 12 crore families, taking into account the country's 11.7% population growth since 2011.
The program was also expanded to provide free healthcare benefits to 37 lakh Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs), and their families. Following the latest cabinet decision, all residents in the nation who are 70 years of age or beyond would be eligible for free healthcare coverage worth Rs 5 lakh thanks to AB PM-JAY.
The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 27, 2021, to create a strong digital health ecosystem by means of active cooperation between the public and private sectors. Formerly known as the National Digital Health Mission, the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) seeks to provide universal health coverage in a fast, safe, cost-effective, inclusive, and accessible manner. ABDM is designed to create longitudinal electronic health records for citizens, enhancing healthcare accessibility, reducing care costs, and improving efficiency in health service delivery.
Ayushman Bharat, which seamlessly integrates comprehensive care across basic, secondary, and tertiary levels, symbolises a revolutionary change in the Indian healthcare system. By focusing on preventive treatment and health promotion in addition to meeting urgent medical needs, the program's umbrella elements make healthcare more accessible and equal.
