Government Extends Health Insurance Coverage to All Senior Citizens Aged 70 and Above

The Union government, led by PM Narendra Modi, has made a significant decision to extend health insurance coverage to all senior citizens aged 70 and above, regardless of their socio-economic status.

This move addresses the healthcare needs of a vulnerable population that frequently faces various health issues.

This decision is timely, given that senior citizens constitute a substantial portion of hospital admissions.

According to data from the Ayushman Bharat scheme, nearly 24% of hospital admissions over the past five years have been senior citizens.

To date, the Ayushman Bharat scheme has seen over one crore senior citizens being admitted to hospitals.

With the new initiative, approximately 4.5 crore families and around 6 crore senior citizens aged 70 or above will receive health insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh.

This is a notable development since most insurance companies do not provide coverage for individuals above 70 years, or if they do, the premiums are typically high and some ailments may be excluded from coverage.

The Ayushman Bharat data indicates that a significant number of claims are related to dialysis. Families already covered under the scheme will benefit from an additional top-up of Rs 5 lakh per year.

Senior citizens currently benefiting from other schemes like ECHS, CGHS, and CAPF have the option to either continue with their existing scheme or switch to the new one.

Those who have private insurance or are covered by ESIC are also eligible for the new scheme’s benefits.