NEW DELHI, Nov 18: The Ayushman Vay Vandana Card, launched to provide free healthcare benefits to senior citizens under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), has achieved a remarkable milestone by enrolling over 10 lakh senior citizens aged 70 and above within three weeks of its launch on October 29 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, nearly 4 lakh women are among the enrolled beneficiaries. Since its introduction, treatments worth over ₹9 crore have been authorized under the scheme, benefiting more than 4,800 senior citizens, including over 1,400 women.
The treatments provided under the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card cover a wide range of medical conditions, including coronary angioplasty, hip fractures and replacements, gallbladder removal, cataract surgery, prostate resection, and stroke, among others.
The initiative follows a significant expansion of PM-JAY, approved by the Union Cabinet in September this year, aimed at extending transformative health insurance coverage to approximately 6 crore senior citizens across 4.5 crore families. As part of this expansion, all senior citizens aged 70 and above will receive the new Vay Vandana Card, granting them exclusive access to the scheme’s benefits.
Notably, the Vay Vandana Card is universal, with no income restrictions, ensuring access for all eligible seniors, regardless of whether they belong to poor, middle-class, or upper-class backgrounds. It is designed to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare expenses for elderly citizens and provide free health treatments at hospitals.
