Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card

Context (TH|DDN): The Prime Minister has introduced the Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card as part of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).

• Coverage: Provides an annual health cover of ₹5 lakh per family specifically targeting elderly individuals aged 70 years and above. If multiple elderly members are in the same household, the cover is shared among them.

Who Will Benefit?

• Eligibility: Beneficiaries already enrolled in the original Ayushman Bharat scheme.
• Additional Coverage: Individuals under existing government health schemes such as the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), and Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).

Demographic Context:

• According to the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI), only 8.6% of India’s population was aged over 60 in the 2011 census. However, this figure is projected to increase to 19.5% by 2050, which would account for approximately 319 million elderly citizens, a significant rise from the 103 million recorded in 2011.