New Delhi: More than five lakh senior citizens aged 70 and above have enrolled for Ayushman cards under the expanded Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), reports reveal. The Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card, introduced two weeks ago by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, offers free health coverage to all elderly citizens over 70, regardless of income.
The card, approved by the Union Cabinet in September, provides an individual health cover of ₹5 lakh per year, adding to the existing AB-PMJAY family health assurance scheme.
Data from the National Health Authority shows a total of 5,12,598 applications for enrollment under this scheme, with 4,64,541 approvals, 47,916 pending applications, and 141 rejections. Madhya Pradesh has recorded the highest number of enrollments with 1.66 lakh applications, followed by Kerala with 1.28 lakh, Uttar Pradesh with 69,044, and Gujarat with 25,491 applications.
An official noted that awareness materials have been distributed to all states to encourage more senior citizens to participate. “As word spreads, we are confident that more elderly citizens will benefit from this initiative,” the official said.
The Ayushman Bharat Senior Citizen Scheme aims to benefit an estimated six crore individuals across 4.5 crore families, responding to India’s aging population, which is projected to double by 2050 and significantly increase demand for geriatric care.
Eligible beneficiaries can apply for the Ayushman Bharat Senior Citizen Scheme online at [www.beneficiary.nha.gov.in](http://www.beneficiary.nha.gov.in) or through the Ayushman app.
Launched in 2018, AB-PMJAY is the world’s largest publicly funded health assurance program, providing health coverage to 55 crore people in 12.34 crore poor and vulnerable families across India.
With IANS inputs