Over 25 lakh senior citizens have enrolled for the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card, in less than a span of two months since its launch, marking a significant milestone. The card is launched by the government of India under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) health scheme.
According to the official press release, treatments worth more than Rs 40 crore have been availed since the card was launched, which has benefitted more than 22,000 senior citizens aged 70 years and above. This entailed treatments of multiple conditions including coronary angioplasty and cataract surgery among others.
What is the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card?
The card launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on October 29, provides comprehensive health coverage and gives access to the holders to a wide array of health care services in both government and private hospitals, that are part of the AB PM-JAY network.
An applicant seeking the card must be a permanent resident of India and must have attained the age of 70 years or older.
A key element of the Vay Vandana Card is its universality, as it follows no income limit. Regardless of the senior citizens’ socio-economic status, the card provides free health insurance services up to Rs 5 lakh. The senior citizens aged 70 years and above who belong to families already covered, get an additional top-up cover of upto Rs 5 lakh per year.
Prime Minister Modi launched this scheme, a pivotal expansion of health coverage on the occasion of Dhanvantri Jayanti for a total of Rs 3437 crores.
How to apply for the card?
To ensure seamless access to the benefits of the Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card, applicants must possess an Aadhar card. Registration can be done by visiting the nearest empaneled hospital.
Self-registration can also be done through the online mode by following the steps given below:
– Download the Ayushman App: Begin by downloading the Ayushman app on your smartphone.
– Login as Beneficiary: Once the app is installed, log in as a beneficiary.
– Provide Authentication Details: Enter your mobile number, select the desired authentication method, and verify with a CAPTCHA.
– Enter Beneficiary Details: Input the required beneficiary details, including Aadhar information.
– E-KYC Process: If the beneficiary is not found in the system, follow the e-KYC process and provide consent for OTP verification.
– Provide Additional Information: Complete the application by providing necessary declarations, capturing a photo, and filling in additional details.
– OTP Verification: Enter the OTP sent to the beneficiary’s mobile number.
– Fill in Beneficiary Details: Provide information such as category and PIN code.
– Add Family Members: Include details of family members and submit the application.
– Card Approval and Download: Once the e-KYC process is completed, the Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card will be approved and can be downloaded from the app after a certain period.
Citizens can also call on the toll-free number 14555 or give a missed call on 1800110770 for any enquiries related to the scheme.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana
The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana or PM-JAY, was launched on 23rd September, 2018 in Ranchi, Jharkhand by PM Modi. It is touted as the world’s largest health insurance/ assurance scheme fully financed by the government.
The scheme envisions to help mitigate catastrophic expenditure on medical treatment, ashless access to health care services for the beneficiary at the point of service.
The scheme aims to provide health insurance coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family to the bottom 40% of the Indian population, based on the criteria of Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 (SECC 2011) for urban and rural areas respectively. PM-JAY covers up to 3 days of pre-hospitalization and 15 days post-hospitalization expenses such as diagnostics and medicines.
