The government is initially considering bringing all people above 70 years of age under its purview and increasing the insurance cover from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh per year. Official sources said that according to the estimates prepared by the National Health Authority, if these proposals are approved, it will cost the government treasury an additional Rs 12,076 crore per year. This will enable more than two-thirds of the country’s population to get health insurance. He said that medical expenses are one of the biggest reasons leading families to debt. These proposals or parts of it are expected to be announced in the general budget to be presented on July 23.
Another source said that about 4-5 crore additional beneficiaries above the age of 70 years have been included under the scheme. The limit of Rs 5 lakh for AB-PMJAY was fixed in 2018.
In the Interim Budget 2024, the government increased the allocation for AB-PMJAY to Rs 7,200 crore, which provides health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to 12 crore families.
Rs 646 crore was allocated for the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM). President Draupadi Murmu had said in a joint session of Parliament on June 27 that all senior citizens above the age of 70 will now also get the benefit of free treatment under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
