Ayushman Vay Vandana Cards Enable Free Treatment for Seniors at Over 31,000 Hospitals

These cards are valid nationwide, offering full portability and access to treatment across 31,466 empanelled hospitals, whether government-run or private.

Senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their economic status, can now access free medical treatment worth up to ₹5 lakh annually under the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), the Center informed the Rajya Sabha recently.

Launched as part of the Ayushman Vay Vandana initiative on October 29, 2024, the scheme extends AB-PMJAY’s health coverage to all elderly citizens through dedicated Ayushman Vay Vandana cards.

These cards are valid nationwide, offering full portability and access to treatment across 31,466 empanelled hospitals, whether government-run or private.

Of these, 14,194 are private healthcare facilities, providing older adults flexibility and wider choices for their care. The National Health Authority (NHA) has also released revised Hospital Empanelment and Management (HEM) Guidelines to standardize the onboarding of hospitals under AB-PMJAY and improve quality of service delivery.

To date, more than 1.06 lakh claims have already been settled under the Vay Vandana scheme since its rollout. The Ministry said this reflects strong uptake and growing awareness among senior citizens about the benefits available to them.

“The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Prataprao Jadhav stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today,” the official note added.

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