Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said his government is committed to ensuring accessible, affordable and top quality healthcare for every Indian. His assertion came after the Union Cabinet approved health coverage to all persons aged 70 years and above under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana irrespective of their income, benefiting around six crore senior citizens. The Rs 5-lakh free health insurance cover would benefit senior citizens of around 4.5 crore families. Eligible beneficiaries would be issued a new distinct card under the scheme, the government said. "We are committed to ensuring accessible, affordable and top quality healthcare for every Indian. In this context, the Cabinet today has decided to further expand the ambit of Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY to provide health coverage for all citizens above 70 years," Modi said in a post on X. This scheme will ensure dignity, care and security to 6 crore citizens, he added. Modi also said the PM E-DRIVE .
With this approval, all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their socio-economic status, would be eligible to avail themselves of the benefits of AB-PMJAY
In a move that will benefit 4.5 crore families, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved health coverage to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above irrespective of income under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. The coverage aims to benefit six crore senior citizens from 4.5 crore families with Rs five lakh free health insurance cover. Eligible beneficiaries will be issued a new distinct card under the scheme, the government said.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said the government has invested Rs 1,000 crore in the past three years to develop the Ayush infrastructure in the state, including an International Institute of Ayurveda Research and a new Ayurveda medical college in Idukki district. The CM inaugurated a two-day Global Ayurveda Summit and Kerala Healthcare Tourism here and set the tone for the deliberations by focusing on the policy initiatives of the state government to facilitate a holistic healthcare environment. The summit is spearheaded by the Confederation of Indian Industry with support from the Ministry of Ayush and Central and State governments. "Our strength lies in seamlessly blending traditional ayurvedic practice with cutting-edge modern medicine," Vijayan was quoted in a release issued by the organisers. The speakers at the summit called for promoting Kerala as God's own healing destination by focusing on the unique strengths of the state in modern medicine, ayurveda
The lesser numbers in Telangana are due to the presence of the state's own health insurance scheme for the poor, 'Aarogyasri,' which later merged with AB-PMJAY only in 2021
Over 29,000 hospitals, including 12,625 private ones, have been empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana till June 30, Union Health Minister J P Nadda told the Lok Sabha on Friday. All empanelled hospitals have signed MoUs with their respective State Health Agencies (SHAs). Beneficiaries can seek redressal of their grievances by filing their grievances related to denial of treatment by the empanelled hospitals or regarding any other issue related to the scheme, using different media, including web-based portal Centralised Grievance Redressal Management System (CGRMS), Central and State call centres, letters to SHAs etc. Beneficiaries can approach the State Health Agency for taking action against erring hospitals, including de-empanelment of the hospitals. All empanelled hospitals are available for providing treatment to the eligible beneficiaries, Nadda said in a written response to a question. The activeness of a hospital is measured through the number
No expert committee has been set up for extending health benefits to cover citizens aged 70 and above under Ayushman Bharat, Union Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav told the Lok Sabha on Friday. He was responding to a question on whether the government proposed to cover citizens aged 70 and above by expanding Ayushman Bharat through the launch of a national health claims exchange and if an expert panel had been set up to strengthen the format of the scheme for the planned expansion. Jadhav, in a written reply, said all members of eligible families, irrespective of age, were covered under Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. The scheme provides health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to 55 crore individuals, corresponding to 12.34 crore families, he said. "No expert committee has been set up for extending the health benefits to cover senior citizens aged 70 and above," he stated. Responding t
The U-WIN portal, a replication of the Covid-19 vaccine management system Co-WIN, is set for a pan-India launch likely by the end of August, aiming to maintain an electronic registry of routine immunisations, official sources said. Currently, U-WIN is in pilot mode across all states and Union Territories, except for West Bengal, which is yet to start uploading data, the sources told PTI, adding that it is still under consideration in the state. The U-WIN platform captures every vaccination event for pregnant women and children under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP). Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman had announced in the interim Budget for 2024-2025 that U-WIN, along with intensified efforts under Mission Indradhanush, will be rolled out nationwide for managing immunisation. "The U-WIN will ensure timely administration of vaccine doses by digitally recording every vaccination event under the Universal Immunisation Programme among all pregnant women and children aged 0
Echoing the urgency of healthcare reforms ranging from restructuring of Ayushman Bharat Yojana (AB-PMJAY) to accelerating the digital health mission, experts and industry leaders have outlined key priorities for the Modi government in its third consecutive term. Their statements highlight the importance of prioritising preventive healthcare measures, strengthening infrastructure, and increasing healthcare spending. Healthcare experts have expressed concerns about whether the government in its new term will make any difference by increasing public expenditure on healthcare to the desired level in India. Notably, the National Health Policy (NHP) 2017, which promises to increase public health spending to 2.5 percent of the GDP, remains overdue even as Indians rely heavily on private services. Dr Girdhar Gyani, Director General, AHPI (Association of Healthcare Providers, India) said, "In the upcoming term, we urge the government to prioritise a comprehensive approach to fostering a ...
In Union Budget for FY25, experts anticipate expanded coverage and increased funding for major health initiatives in the upcoming budget
Union Budget 2024: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Budget in the Lok Sabha on July 23; the Budget session of Parliament to take place from July 22 to August 12
Union Budget 2024: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the Budget in the Lok Sabha on July 23
Recently, the Irdai mandated that all cashless claims be processed within three hours of receiving a discharge authorisation request from the hospital
Launched in September 2018, Ayushman Bharat Yojana is considered one of the world's largest healthcare schemes, aiming to cover over 500 million Indian citizens
The government is actively considering doubling the beneficiary base under its flagship Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme over the next three years, with all those aged above 70 years to be brought under its ambit to begin with, and also increase the insurance coverage to Rs 10 lakh per year. The proposals, if given a go ahead, would entail an additional expenditure of Rs 12,076 crore per annum for the exchequer as per estimates prepared by the National Health Authority, official sources told PTI. "Discussions are happening to double the beneficiary base under the AB-PMJAY over the next three years, which, if implemented, will cover more than two-third population of the country with health cover, the sources said while noting that medical expenditure is one of the biggest reasons that push families to indebtedness. "Deliberations are also underway over finalising a proposal to double the limit of the coverage amount from the existing Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh," they said. These
India is ahead of several countries in drafting a legal framework to support the implementation of the 'One Health' initiative, which shows its leadership in the matter, Niti Aayog member (health) Dr VK Paul said on Thursday. The 'One Health' approach that integrates the health of people, animals and the environment, is crucial for addressing complex health challenges such as zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and food safety. Inaugurating a two-day National Consultation on Legal Environment Assessment for the 'One Health' initiative, here, Paul said, "COVID-19 has forced us to re-focus our attention on the importance of zoonotic diseases and the intricate linkages between the human, animal and plan ecosystems," Paul said. Issues of critical health challenges posed by zoonoses, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), food safety, and climate change are interconnected and require a comprehensive, multi-sectoral approach to breaking down the silos between human health, animal health
All citizens aged above 70 years will be provided free treatment under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme, President Droupadi Murmu said on Thursday. The opening of 25,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras in the country is also progressing at a fast pace, she said while addressing the joint sitting of Parliament. Under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), free health services are being provided to 55 crore beneficiaries, Murmu said. "Further, the Government is going to take yet another decision in this area. Now all the elderly above 70 years of age will also be covered and get the benefit of free treatment under Ayushman Bharat Yojana," the President said. Today, India is emerging as a leader in every sector from IT to Tourism and from Health to Wellness, she stated. The AB-PMJAY, the largest publicly funded health insurance scheme in the world, aims to provide health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation t
Experts suggest data privacy concerns, lack of tech infra may have led to decision
According to data available on the National Health Authority dashboard, the scheme has, so far, covered over 345 million citizens who received free health insurance of Rs 5 lakh for hospitalisation
Industry sources say Centre is considering increasing coverage under Ayushman Bharat scheme to Rs 10 lakh from the current Rs 5 lakh