Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya scheme: 6.14 crore Ayushman cards issued, over one crore hospital admissions authorised for senior citizens
Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is a public health insurance scheme aimed at ensuring free access to health insurance for low income individuals in the country.
The government has issued more than 6.1 crore Ayushman cards and authorised more than one crore hospital admissions for senior citizens under its Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya scheme, Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad submitted in a written response to Parliament on Monday. Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is a public health insurance scheme aimed at ensuring free access to health insurance for low income individuals in the country.
General insurance companies, including standalone health insurers, offer a host of insurance products for various segments in the country. The minister shared a list of health insurance products exclusively offered to senior citizens by regulator IRDAI-registered insurance companies:
| Insurer | Product name | Line of business |
| Star Health & Allied Insurance Co | Senior Citizens Red Carpet Health Insurance Policy | Health Indemnity |
| Universal Sompo General Insurance | Senior Citizen Health Insurance Policy | Health Indemnity |
| Universal Sompo General Insurance | CSC - Senior Citizen Health Insurance Policy | Health Indemnity |
| Universal Sompo General Insurance | PoS - Senior Citizen Health Insurance Policy | Health Indemnity |
| New India Assurance Co | Senior Citizen Mediclaim Policy- Entry age (60-80 Y) | Health Indemnity |
| New India Assurance Co | New India Sixty Plus Mediclaim Policy Entry age (60-80 Y) | Health Indemnity |
| New India Assurance Co | OneHealth Senior | Health Indemnity |
| Magma HDI General Insurance Co | OneHealth Senior | Health Indemnity |
| Tata AIA Life Insurance Co | Tata AIA Life Insurance Smart Health Shield Plan | Benefit based |
| ICICI LOMBARD General Insurance Co | Golden Shield | Health Indemnity |
| National Insurance Co | National Senior Citizen Mediclaim Policy | Health Indemnity |
| Niva Bupa Health Insurance Co | Senior First | Health Indemnity |
| Niva Bupa Health Insurance Co | Future Varishta Bima | Health Indemnity |
| Bajaj Allianz Allianz General Insurance Co | Silver Health | Health Indemnity |
| HDFC ERGO General Insurance Co | Optima Senior | Health Indemnity |
| Source: IRDAI |
The minister also detailed the state- and UT-wise proportion of senior citizens covered under the health insurance schemes, as furnished by IRDAI for the year ended March 2023:
| Name of the state/UT | Total No. of lives covered (retail) | Senior citizen lives covered | % of senior citizens |
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 8,278 | 228 | 2.75% |
| Andhra Pradesh | 28,25,376 | 1,17,016 | 4.14% |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 17,861 | 284 | 1.59% |
| Assam | 10,21,071 3 | 0,015 | 2.94% |
| Bihar | 59,17,754 | 63,325 | 1.07% |
| Chandigarh | 4,79,608 | 34,867 | 7.27% |
| Chhattisgarh | 7,03,103 | 30,219 | 4.30% |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli | 77,909 | 2,920 | 3.75% |
| Daman & Diu | 31,604 | 707 | 2.24% |
| Delhi | 96,99,674 | 6,89,795 | 7.11% |
| Goa | 2,17,377 | 14,640 | 6.73% |
| Gujarat | 75,40,313 | 4,26,119 | 5.65% |
| Haryana | 85,40,317 | 3,76,524 | 4.41% |
| Himachal Pradesh | 2,76,351 | 20,545 | 7.43% |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 1,61,023 | 9,365 | 5.82% |
| Jharkhand | 11,74,733 | 51,556 | 4.39% |
| Karnataka | 1,83,43,043 | 13,59,898 | 7.41% |
| Kerala | 54,60,481 | 4,50,603 | 8.25% |
| Ladakh | 1,298 | 40 | 3.08% |
| Lakshadweep | 552 | 14 | 2.54% |
| Madhya Pradesh | 36,01,474 | 1,17,163 | 3.25% |
| Maharashtra | 4,64,79,752 | 37,44,924 | 8.06% |
| Manipur | 45,779 | 661 | 1.44% |
| Meghalaya | 27,325 | 672 | 2.46% |
| Mizoram | 6,332 | 106 | 1.67% |
| Nagaland | 12,118 | 368 | 3.04% |
| Odisha | 25,94,746 | 1,03,257 | 3.98% |
| Puducherry | 1,56,951 | 8,875 | 5.65% |
| Punjab | 27,65,134 | 1,06,332 | 3.85% |
| Rajasthan | 31,25,163 | 96,607 | 3.09% |
| Sikkim | 69,234 | 5,006 | 7.23% |
| Tamil Nadu | 1,58,04,666 | 10,99,747 | 6.96% |
| Telangana | 95,41,120 | 6,46,671 | 6.78% |
| Tripura | 88,308 | 2,753 | 3.12% |
| Uttar Pradesh | 90,30,641 | 3,84,087 | 4.25% |
| Uttarakhand | 8,23,115 | 33,481 | 4.07% |
| West Bengal | 69,48,277 | 4,92,900 | 7.09% |
| Others | 1,65,12,291 | 5,30,446 | 3.21% |
| Grand Total | 18,01,30,152 | 1,10,52,736 | 6.14% |
| Source: IRDAI |
Additionally, the IRDAI has mandated to the insurers that the premium charged for health insurance products offered by Insurers to senior citizens will be fair, justified, transparent and duly disclosed upfront, and stipulated that insurers and third-party administrators will establish a separate channel to address the health insurance related claims and grievances of senior citizens, the minister said.
“Insurers are also encouraged to design health insurance policies for various groups, such as specific age or gender or different age groups,” he added.
The minister was responding to a string of queries on the country’s health insurance space and the degree of coverage available exclusive to senior citizens.
What is AB-PMJAY?
The Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya scheme is the government’s flagship health assurance programme implemented in partnership with the states and Union Territories. The scheme provides health coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to 12 crore beneficiary families comprising 55 crore individuals.
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