Ayushman Bharat for all senior citizens above 70: Will providers step up?
Experts say this will fill a critical gap in India’s healthcare ecosystem, ensuring that the growing cohort of senior citizens, estimated 10.5% of the country’s population, are not left without support.


- Sep 13, 2024,
- Updated Sep 16, 2024 3:03 PM IST
The Union Cabinet’s recent decision to extend health coverage under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) to all senior citizens aged 70 and above is set to benefit 60 million senior citizens. However, the private sector hospitals and industry bodies have raised concerns about the programme’s long-term sustainability and its potential impact on healthcare providers.
With this, senior citizens aged 70 and above will be eligible to receive benefits under AB PM-JAY, regardless of their socioeconomic status. They will be issued a distinct card under the scheme. Senior citizens already covered under AB PM-JAY will receive an additional top-up cover of Rs 5 lakh per year, which they will not have to share with family members under 70 years of age. For senior citizens not previously covered, the insurance cover will provide up to Rs 5 lakh per year on a family basis.
While the move aims to provide health insurance cover worth Rs 5 lakh to approximately 60 million senior citizens, healthcare professionals and experts have warned that this expanded beneficiary base may put undue strain on smaller hospitals and clinics. Senior citizens, often requiring more intensive care, will increase demand for services, raising questions about the healthcare system’s ability to cope without adjustments to reimbursement rates and payment timelines.
AB PM-JAY has provided health coverage to 550 million individuals, across 123.4 million families. To date, it has facilitated 73.7 million hospital admissions, with women making up 49% of the beneficiaries. The scheme has helped with healthcare costs amounting to over Rs 1 lakh crore, according to the government.
The extension of AB PM-JAY to senior citizens was first announced by Prime Minister Modi in April 2024. This follows previous expansions, including a revision in January 2022, which increased the scheme’s coverage from 107.4 million to 120 million families. AB PM-JAY was also extended to cover 3.7 million ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers (AWWs), and Anganwadi helpers (AWHs), along with their families.
According to the government, as on August 2, 2024, the scheme is implemented in 33 States/UTs except the NCT of Delhi, West Bengal, and Odisha. Eligible beneficiaries can avail of cashless and paperless healthcare services related to hospitalisation across more than 29,000 empanelled hospitals in the country. In the latest national master of the Health Benefit Package (HBP), the scheme provides cashless healthcare services related to 1949 procedures across 27 medical specialties including General Medicine, Surgery, Cardiology, Oncology, etc.
The Union Cabinet’s recent decision to extend health coverage under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) to all senior citizens aged 70 and above is set to benefit 60 million senior citizens. However, the private sector hospitals and industry bodies have raised concerns about the programme’s long-term sustainability and its potential impact on healthcare providers.
With this, senior citizens aged 70 and above will be eligible to receive benefits under AB PM-JAY, regardless of their socioeconomic status. They will be issued a distinct card under the scheme. Senior citizens already covered under AB PM-JAY will receive an additional top-up cover of Rs 5 lakh per year, which they will not have to share with family members under 70 years of age. For senior citizens not previously covered, the insurance cover will provide up to Rs 5 lakh per year on a family basis.
While the move aims to provide health insurance cover worth Rs 5 lakh to approximately 60 million senior citizens, healthcare professionals and experts have warned that this expanded beneficiary base may put undue strain on smaller hospitals and clinics. Senior citizens, often requiring more intensive care, will increase demand for services, raising questions about the healthcare system’s ability to cope without adjustments to reimbursement rates and payment timelines.
AB PM-JAY has provided health coverage to 550 million individuals, across 123.4 million families. To date, it has facilitated 73.7 million hospital admissions, with women making up 49% of the beneficiaries. The scheme has helped with healthcare costs amounting to over Rs 1 lakh crore, according to the government.
The extension of AB PM-JAY to senior citizens was first announced by Prime Minister Modi in April 2024. This follows previous expansions, including a revision in January 2022, which increased the scheme’s coverage from 107.4 million to 120 million families. AB PM-JAY was also extended to cover 3.7 million ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers (AWWs), and Anganwadi helpers (AWHs), along with their families.
According to the government, as on August 2, 2024, the scheme is implemented in 33 States/UTs except the NCT of Delhi, West Bengal, and Odisha. Eligible beneficiaries can avail of cashless and paperless healthcare services related to hospitalisation across more than 29,000 empanelled hospitals in the country. In the latest national master of the Health Benefit Package (HBP), the scheme provides cashless healthcare services related to 1949 procedures across 27 medical specialties including General Medicine, Surgery, Cardiology, Oncology, etc.