Ayushman Bharat Expands: Seniors Over 70 Now Eligible for ₹5 Lakh Health Cover, How to Register

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 29 launched a new health insurance initiative under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), designed specifically for senior citizens over 70 years old. This scheme, initially announced last month, provides healthcare coverage to India’s elderly without any income restrictions.

This new plan aims to fill a critical gap in elderly healthcare, offering senior citizens free treatment up to ₹5 lakh annually at any hospital registered under the AB PM-JAY network. Pankaj Nawani, CEO of CarePal Secure, highlighted that this initiative would alleviate the financial burden on families, especially for chronic treatments, by reducing out-of-pocket expenses. “It’s a significant step for elderly care across India,” he said.

Prabhat Srivastava, Founder of VitusCare, added that the scheme could drive partnerships between the public and private sectors, resulting in better infrastructure and service efficiency. He noted its particular benefit for elderly patients needing consistent treatment, like dialysis.

**Additional Benefits and Options for Existing Users**

For those already enrolled in AB PM-JAY, the scheme offers an extra ₹5 lakh in coverage specifically for senior healthcare needs, separate from family benefits allotted to younger members. Additionally, seniors enrolled in other government health schemes—such as the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), or Ayushman CAPF—can choose to stay with their current plan or opt into the new coverage under AB PM-JAY.

Expected to benefit about 4.5 crore families and cover nearly 6 crore senior citizens, the scheme provides annual healthcare support of up to ₹5 lakh per family.

How to Register

To access the new health coverage, individuals must register on the PMJAY portal or the Ayushman app. Those with an existing Ayushman card will need to reapply and complete eKYC to obtain a new card for this specific coverage.