Ayushman Vaya Vandana Scheme successfully completes two years

The Ayushman Vaya Vandana Scheme launched by the Government of India for senior citizens has successfully completed its two years today. Through this scheme, approximately 6 crore senior citizens aged 70 years and above across the country have been empowered with dignified and cashless health coverage, regardless of their socio-economic status. According to the PIB Delhi report, 23.46 lakh hospital admissions have been approved under this scheme, which has a total value of ₹5,668.80 crore.

This historic initiative was launched by the Hon'ble Prime Minister on 29 October 2024. The main objective of this scheme is to extend the benefits of 'Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana' (AB PM-JAY) to every citizen aged 70 years or above. The implementation of this scheme is being carried out by the National Health Authority (NHA) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. This initiative is an important step towards enhancing health coverage and strengthening financial security for 6 crore senior citizens associated with approximately 4.5 crore families across the country.

Under the Ayushman Vaya Vandana Scheme, all senior citizens aged 70 years and above are eligible for health coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per year per family upon hospitalization for secondary and tertiary care. For families already covered under AB PM-JAY, an additional 'top-up cover' of up to ₹5 lakh per year is available for senior citizens aged 70 years or above residing in those families. This additional cover is exclusively for these senior citizens and is separate from the coverage available to other family members under the age of 70. Through this provision, eligible senior citizens receive additional financial security, while the coverage for other family members also remains intact.

Data up to 20 October 2026 shows that 23.46 lakh authorized hospital admissions have been recorded as utilization of hospital services by eligible senior citizens under this scheme. The total value of these admissions is ₹5,668.80 crore, which indicates the total value of hospital treatments approved under the scheme. These figures show that senior citizens are actively taking advantage of this scheme.

Talking about the types of treatments, cataract surgery is the most utilized procedure under this scheme. Out of the total approved treatments, 4.71 lakh treatments have been done under this procedure, which accounts for approximately 20.1 percent of all approved treatments. This figure indicates that this initiative is helping bridge the long-standing gap in accessing eye care facilities among senior citizens.

Cataract surgery is followed by chronic hemodialysis, with approximately 2.90 lakh treatments performed. This facility provides continuous support to beneficiaries requiring regular hospital-based care due to kidney disease. In terms of treatment value, the share of Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) is the largest, at approximately ₹649 crore. This highlights that this initiative is playing an important role in providing financial security to beneficiaries against the high cost of specialized cardiac treatment.

Additionally, other important treatment categories include total knee replacement surgery, management of acute exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), acute fever-related illness, and acute kidney injury and kidney failure. All these procedures cover the full range of hospital care from routine surgery to the management of complex and critical conditions.

Speaking on this occasion, Dr. Sunil Kumar Barnwal, CEO of the National Health Authority, said, "The Ayushman Vaya Vandana Scheme is a symbol of our commitment to ensuring that senior citizens aged 70 years and above can access health services with dignity, security, and peace of mind. By extending AB PM-JAY coverage to all eligible citizens aged 70 years and above regardless of socio-economic status, this initiative strengthens the financial security of senior families. This is an important step towards building a more inclusive health system that recognizes the needs of our senior citizens and ensures that financial barriers do not prevent them from receiving essential hospital treatment."

By extending the benefits of AB PM-JAY to all eligible senior citizens regardless of socio-economic status, the Ayushman Vaya Vandana Scheme further reinforces the Government of India's commitment to inclusive healthcare and financial security in old age. As this scheme enters its third year, it will continue to steadily increase access to publicly funded health coverage and reduce the burden of hospitalization costs on senior citizens and their families.