Free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh for senior citizens above 70 years of age

Extension of ‘Ayushman Bharat’ scheme by Union Govt

New Delhi – The Union Government has announced free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh for all senior citizens above 70 years of age in the country. The Union Cabinet meeting held on September 11 approved the expansion of the ‘Ayushman Bharat’ scheme. This decision has been taken under this extension. All senior citizens aged 70 years and above can avail this scheme. The scheme will be applicable to all senior citizens above the age of 70 years without any income criteria. A new separate card will be issued to them.

This scheme will benefit 6 crore senior citizens of the country. This would include an estimated 4.5 million households in the country. This point was included in BJP’s Lok Sabha election manifesto. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said that Rs 3,437 crore will be spent initially for this scheme. As people participate in the scheme, its scope will be expanded.

World’s largest insurance plan

‘Ayushman Bharat’ launched in 2017 by the Union Government is the world’s largest insurance scheme. Under this scheme, treatment can be done in selected Government and private hospitals across the country. Under this scheme, 40% of the country’s population is provided free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh per year. So far, more than 4.5 crore people have received treatment under this scheme. However, many States including Bengal have refused to implement this scheme in their States.