There is good news for senior citizens, especially those who do not have any private health coverage. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has specified that everyone aged 70 and above will be covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. 

In a statement by the Union Cabinet, it was said that the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) will benefit 4.5 crore families and six crore senior citizens. The free cover is of a value of Rs 5 lakh per family. 

What has happened now is that senior citizens above the age of 70, who are already covered under AB PM-JAY will not have to share the Rs 5 lakh cover with family members who are below 70 years. Instead, they will get an additional top-up cover of Rs 5 lakh. This will mean that senior citizens will have a larger cover in case they need it. 

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It may be noted here, that senior citizens may already be benefiting under other public health insurance schemes such as the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), and Ayushman Central Armed Police Force (CAPF). They will have the option to either choose their existing scheme or opt for AB PMJAY.

Also, senior citizens above the age of 70 who are covered under private health insurance schemes or Employees' State Insurance Scheme, will be able to avail benefits of the AB PM-JAY.

This is good news for many as according to a Niti Ayog study, it was revealed that only 18 per cent of the ageing population was covered by health insurance. The report also states that 70 per cent of the elderly population is dependent on everyday maintenance, and 78 per cent is living without any pension cover. Also,  28 per cent are aware of any concession for senior citizens, and 24 per cent reported problems in providing documents to avail services.

So, while this is a positive step, awareness is also key to ensuring that the uninsured elderly population in the country have medical coverage when they need it.