No Expansion for Senior Citizens Under Ayushman Bharat, Confirms Health Ministry

Union Minister of State for Health, Prataprao Jadhav, addressed the Lok Sabha, confirming that there is no plan to extend Ayushman Bharat benefits to citizens aged 70 and above. The current scheme covers 12.34 crore families with a health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per year. A new National Health Claims Exchange aims to enhance claim processing efficiency.

Union Minister of State for Health, Prataprao Jadhav, addressed the Lok Sabha on Friday, explicitly stating that there is no expert committee set up for extending Ayushman Bharat's health benefits to cover senior citizens aged 70 and above.

Appearing in a written reply to a question, Jadhav confirmed that the current scheme already covers all members of eligible families, irrespective of age, providing health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization. Beneficiaries can avail cashless treatment at any empanelled hospital in the country.

Further elaborating on the new National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX), Jadhav highlighted its role in streamlining and standardizing health insurance claim processing. Supported by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, NHCX aims to enhance efficiency and transparency in the insurance industry.