Ayushman Vay Vandana Card for senior citizens aged 70 and above

What is it?

The Ayushman Vay Vandana Card is an expansion of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) aimed at elderly people. The Union Cabinet approved the expansion on 11 September 2024, and the card was launched by the Prime Minister on 29 October 2024.

Every senior citizen aged 70 years and above is covered by a distinct card issued under AB PM-JAY, through which they can access free treatment at hospitals empanelled under the scheme. The expansion was intended to reach roughly 6 crore senior citizens across about 4.5 crore families.

The most important feature, and the one most often misunderstood, is that this card is universal for the age group. Official material states plainly that there is no income limit, whether the family is poor, middle class or upper class. This is different from the rest of PM-JAY, where households are selected using the deprivation and occupational criteria of the Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011.

AB PM-JAY itself provides secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year. It covers medical examination, treatment and consultation, pre-hospitalisation expenses, medicines and consumables, intensive and non-intensive care, diagnostics and laboratory tests, medical implants, accommodation and food, treatment complications, and post-hospitalisation follow-up care for up to 15 days. There is no cap on family size or age, and pre-existing diseases are covered from day one.

Treatments already availed under the card include coronary angioplasty, hip fracture and replacement, gall bladder removal, cataract surgery, prostate resection and stroke care.

Potential benefit

Up to ₹5,00,000 per family per year

AB PM-JAY provides comprehensive secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation benefits of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year, and the Vay Vandana Card gives senior citizens aged 70 and above access to free treatment at empanelled hospitals under it. Cover includes examination and consultation, pre-hospitalisation expenses, medicines and consumables, ICU and non-ICU care, diagnostics, implants, accommodation and food, treatment complications, and post-hospitalisation follow-up for up to 15 days.

Who can apply?

Other conditions stated by the government

• Age 70 years and above.
• The card is described officially as universal for this age group, with no income limit, whether the person is poor, middle class or upper class.
• Under AB PM-JAY there is no cap on family size or age, and pre-existing diseases are covered from day one.
• Treatment must be taken at a hospital empanelled under AB PM-JAY.

Eligibility information is provided for informational purposes only. Final eligibility and approval are determined by the relevant government authority.

How to apply

Senior citizens aged 70 and above enrol for the distinct Ayushman Vay Vandana Card under AB PM-JAY, after which cashless treatment can be taken at any empanelled hospital. The PIB explainer points readers to the National Health Authority's PM-JAY pages for the application route rather than setting out the steps itself.

Where to apply: online and offline

Deadline

No fixed deadline. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.