Ayushman Bharat Scheme 70+ Senior Citizens: Free treatment card of ₹ 5 lakh, know the complete guide to apply online sitting at home

In a historic expansion in the field of health protection, the Government of India has made the facility of free treatment mandatory for all senior citizens (70 years of age and above) of the country under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). The special digital card to be issued under this initiative has been named ‘Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card’. The most special thing about this decision of the Central Government is that there is no limit on income in it – whether the family is rich, middle class or poor, if the person is 70 years of age or above, then he is being provided cashless health insurance cover of up to ₹ 5 lakh per year. This card is proving to be a complete boon to save crores of elderly people of the country from the huge expenses for treatment of diseases in old age.

While in the traditional Ayushman Bharat scheme, selection was based on Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) or BPL list, the rules for 70+ senior citizens have been made completely simple and universal:

• Minimum age 70 years: The age of the applicant should be 70 years or more. Age verification is done automatically only on the basis of date of birth recorded in their official Aadhaar card.

• No income or class restrictions: For this, no income certificate, caste certificate or ration card is required.

• Rules for top-up and separate cover: If the family is already a beneficiary of Ayushman Bharat scheme, then the 70+ elderly member of the family will get an exclusive top-up cover of ₹5 lakh, which will not have to be shared with other family members.

• Options with other government schemes: Senior citizens who are already availing the benefits of Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) or Railway Health Services can continue with their old scheme or opt for Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card (one of the two has to be selected). At the same time, senior citizens holding private health insurance or ESIC are also fully eligible for this.

Under Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card, cashless admission facility is available in more than 29,000 empaneled government and private hospitals across the country. There is no ‘waiting period’ for any disease:

• Illnesses covered before first day: Critical illnesses like Heart Attack/Bypass, Cancer, Kidney Dialysis, Cataract, Brain Stroke, Knee/Hip Replacement are covered from day one.

• Expenses before and after hospitalization: This covers the cost of OPD/investigation up to 3 days before hospitalization and medicines and follow-up consultation up to 15 days after discharge.

• ICU and Surgery: ICU charges, doctor fees, operation theater charges, implants and diagnostic tests are completely cashless.

Senior citizens do not need to submit paper documents at any government office. The online application requires only two basic things:

1. elder’s legal Aadhar card (In which name and date of birth are entered correctly).

2. Link to Aadhar Card activated mobile number (On which 6 digit OTP can be generated for e-KYC). (Note: If the mobile number is not linked, then e-KYC can also be done through face authentication in ‘Ayushman App’ or biometric fingerprint by visiting the nearest CSC centre.)

You can create Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card for Elderly within just 10 minutes from your smartphone or computer:

1. Open the website or app: from Google Play Store ‘Ayushman App’ Download or visit the official portal of National Health Authority beneficiary.nha.gov.in Go to.

2. Login: on the homepage ‘Beneficiary’ Select the option, enter your mobile number and click on ‘Verify’. Login by entering the OTP and captcha received on the mobile.

3. Select Senior Citizen Banner: on the dashboard ‘Senior Citizen 70+’ Or ‘Apply for Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card’ Click on the banner/option.

4. State and Identity Verification: Select your state, district and scheme (PMJAY). After this, select ‘Aadhaar’ in the search option and enter the 12 digit identity details of the elderly.

5. Complete Aadhaar e-KYC: for authentication ‘Aadhaar OTP’ Or ‘Face Auth’ Select. Enter the OTP received on the registered number and tick the consent box.

6. Capture Live Photo: Capture a clear and candid live selfie/photo of the elderly with the mobile camera (background should be clean).

7. Submit Form: Review the auto-populated information from Aadhaar on the screen and press the ‘Submit’ button.

• Instant Approval and Download: As soon as the e-KYC matches 100% with the UIDAI data, the application is approved. You can go to the same portal or app ‘Download Ayushman Card’ You can download the PDF copy by clicking on.

• Treatment Process: In case of any illness or emergency, take the patient to a private or government hospital affiliated with Ayushman Yojana. at the hospital reception ‘Ayushman Mitra’ Show this card or its printout and the identity card at the desk. The staff there will immediately get the patient’s pre-authorization approved and start the admission process and no bill will have to be paid at the end of the treatment.

• Helpline Support: National toll-free helpline number available 24 hours for any problem or query 14555 A call can be made to.