BJP promises to extend PMJAY to senior citizens above 70

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has pledged in its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections to extend the Ayushman Bharat scheme to include all individuals from the transgender community and senior citizens aged 70 and above.

This was announced during the manifesto’s release by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, although the specific age bracket has not been detailed in the manifesto’s fine print.

“The biggest concern of the elderlies is how they will afford treatment for their ailments. This concern is even more serious for the middle class. BJP has now taken the ‘sankalp’ that every individual above 70 years of age will be brought within the purview of Ayushman Bharat Yojana,” Modi stated.

“We will expand the Ayushman Bharat Yojana to cover senior citizens and provide them access to free and quality healthcare,” the manifesto read.

Originally launched by Arun Jaitley, the then Finance Minister, during the FY19 Union Budget, the Ayushman Bharat scheme—also known as Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY)—currently provides a Rs 5 lakh cover to nearly 80 crore people across India, incorporating economically vulnerable families from both rural and urban areas.

The scheme includes hospitalisation costs, supports pre- and post-hospitalisation, medication, and more than 1,929 medical procedures including major surgeries and follow-up treatments.
This initiative operates paperless and cashless at a vast network of public and private hospitals, ensuring broad and accessible coverage.

The Ayushman Bharat Yojana includes nearly 1,929 treatments like skull surgery, knee replacement surgery, etc. Moreover, it covers the cost of follow-up care and treatments to ensure full recovery.

The expansion of the scheme, if implemented as pledged, will widen its scope, bringing essential healthcare services to an even broader segment of India’s population.
“Extending coverage under the Ayushman Bharat scheme to senior citizens aged 70 and above is a significant step towards enhancing their access to health insurance,” said Siddharth Singhal, Business Head – Health Insurance, Policybazaar.com.

“Given the typically higher premiums they face and the limited options available, this move holds promise in easing their financial burden and ensuring they receive necessary healthcare support,” he said. Business Standard