Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana is a special health insurance scheme launched to senior citizens. Under the scheme, all Indian citizens of 70 years or above, irrespective of their economic status or community, will get free treatment up to ₹5 lakh. Under this scheme there is no eligibility criteria on the basis of income, caste, rural-urban area or economic status. The eligible senior citizens are given an Ayushman Vay Vandana Card which allows them to avail cashless treatment at empaneled government and private hospitals across the country.
Who will not benefit from the scheme?
The Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana has been launched for almost all Indian senior citizens aged 70 years or above but there are certain situations in which the benefit would not be available The applicant must be over 70 years of age to be eligible for this scheme. Similarly, Aadhaar-based e-KYC and identity verification have to be done, failing which the card won’t be issued. Applications may be denied for submitting false or forged documents, attempting to obtain more than one card for the same person, or if the identification information is found to be incorrect.
Further, the scheme is only applicable in government and private hospitals empanelled under AB PM-JAY. If a patient is treated at a non-empaneled hospital or avails a treatment which is not covered under the scheme, they will not get the benefits of the scheme and may have to bear the cost of treatment on their own. So it is important to check eligibility, e-KYC and hospital list before getting the card made.
Who can avail the benefits of the scheme?
All Indian citizens of the age of 70 years and above are eligible for this scheme. A person can also be a beneficiary of Ayushman Bharat scheme (PM-JAY) and still be issued a separate card under the Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana. Further, additional health cover is extended to members with age 70 years and above for the families already availing benefits under PM-JAY as per the prescribed provisions of Government.
Which diseases are treated without any cost?
The scheme includes a wide range of treatments and surgeries. These include heart disease and heart surgery, cancer treatment, kidney related ailments and dialysis, neurological and brain related treatments, orthopedic surgery and joint replacement, ICU admission, emergency medical care, eye, ENT and many other specialized treatments. The treatment is totally cashless as per the package rates fixed by the government.
Treatment Anywhere Across the Country
The main highlight of Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana is its portability throughout the country. This means that even if a senior citizen is residing outside his home state, he can get treatment at any of the listed government or private hospitals in the country. This makes it very convenient for older people who live with their children in other cities or states.
How to Apply for Ayushman Vay Vandana Card?
The government has made the process of applying for the card very easy. Eligible senior citizens can themselves apply online on ‘Ayushman App’. Registration can also be done with the help of nearby Common Service Centers (CSC), listed hospitals or Ayushman help desks. When applying, the Aadhaar card, mobile number and identity related documents are verified. To increase transparency and to prevent fraudulent beneficiaries, government has also made mandatory Aadhaar based e-KYC.
Thousands of Seniors Already Benefiting From Treatment
Over 25 lakh cards were issued under Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana in the first two months, the Union Health Ministry said. Also, 22,000+ senior citizens (70+ years) have received cashless treatment worth more than ₹40 crore. Later government data showed that over 93 lakh cards have been issued and treatment worth over ₹1,741 crore has been approved for 7.89 lakh hospitalization cases. This has eased the financial burden of millions of families.
