Ayushman Bharat Vay Vandana Card: Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (ABPM-JAY) was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, on 23rd September 2018, in Ranchi, Jharkhand. It aims to provide free access to the health insurance for low-income earners in the country. Roughly, the bottom 50% of the country qualifies for this scheme. It was later expanded to avail for all above 70 years senior citizen.
The Lancet, a medical journal, published an article showing a 36% increase in early cancer detection and treatment over a period of 6 years. Timely treatment (treatment onset defined as within 30 days of diagnosis). It improved by a factor of 90% for beneficiaries compared to a 30% for non-registered individuals using PM-JAY. Promoting this, a vertical under the state-backed health protection scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (ABPM-JAY), offers free medical coverage for senior citizens.
What is Ayushman Bharat Vay Vandana Card?
In health contributions, Prime Minister announced for the first time ever that every senior citizen would receive free treatment in hospitals. These senior citizens will also receive the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card for without any registration fees. It is a health specific card introduced in October 2024 for senior citizens to avail free healthcare services.
It also includes medical treatment in both government and private hospitals. This initiative has already seen significant participation, with over 10 lakh senior citizens enrolling for the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card, ensuring themselves of free treatment and support under the scheme.
Currently, PM-JAY is the world’s largest health assurance scheme covering up to ₹5 lakh per family each year with comprehensive secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation benefits for almost 55 crore people constituting the bottom 40% of the Indian population. The household eligibility is based upon the deprivation and occupational criterion of Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 (SECC 2011) for rural and urban categories respectively. The scheme covers nearly 2,000 medical procedures from diagnostics to complex surgery for pre-existing conditions with no waiting period.
Benefits and range of services
The card covers approximately 2,000 procedures including angioplasty, cataract surgeries, and dialysis; for pre-existing conditions there is no waiting period.
There are also additional benefits included:
- Medical examinations, treatment and consultations
- Pre-hospitalisation expenses
- Medicines, medical consumables
- Non-intensive and intensive care services
- Diagnostics and laboratory investigations
- Medical implantation services
- Accommodation and food services
- Taking care of treatment complications
- Post Hospitalisation follow up care (up to 15 days)
Ayushman Bharat scheme to be rolled out in Delhi on April 5, promises Rs 10 lac health cover
Ayushman Bharat Vay Vandana Card Eligibility
The Ayushman Vay Vandana Card stands out for its inclusivity. Here’s who can apply:
- You must be 70 or older, verified by your Aadhaar card.
- There is no income barriers.
- Those with private insurance or ESIC can use this card alongside their existing plans.
- Multiple seniors in a household (e.g., both grandparents) can share the ₹5 lakh coverage or get individual cards under the same family limit.
How to apply for Ayushman Bharat Vay Vandana Card?
Check out the following steps to avail benefits under the Ayushman Vay Vandana card:
1. Download the Ayuhsman Bharat app from the Play Store app.
2. Select the option to log in as a beneficiary or operator, as applicable.
3. Enter the required details like captcha, mobile number, mode of authentication, and click Login.
4. Enter the details of the beneficiary, including state and Aadhaar card details.
5. If a beneficiary can’t be registered, move on to the eKYC process and enter OTP.
6. Provide a declaration by filling in the required details in the necessary fields.
7. Enter the mobile number and OTP of the beneficiary.
8. Provide the required details like category and PIN code.
9. Provide the details of the family members and submit.
10. After completion of e-KYC and acceptance, the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card can be downloaded.
You can download the card within 15 minutes after whole process.
Note: If applying offline, visit a CSC or your empanelled hospital. If you have questions, call 14555 or give a missed call to 1800 11 0770.
For India’s senior citizens, the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card is a beacon of hope that ensures healthcare for 55% of India’s seniors is a right and not a luxury. The Ayushman Vay Vandana Card relies on ₹5 lakh (₹10 lakh in Delhi) annual coverage, there is no maximum income limit, and it has a wide network of hospitals. For many seniors across India, this program has changed their life.
