Delhi has joined the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), a move set to provide free health coverage to nearly 3.6 million residents, as reported by TOI. This includes 600,000 senior citizens over the age of 70, who will be covered under the Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana — regardless of their income or background.
The rollout follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Health Authority (NHA) of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Delhi government’s Department of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday.
Dual cover of ₹10 lakh per family
Each eligible family in Delhi will now receive up to ₹5 lakh per year under PM-JAY, with the Delhi government offering an additional ₹5 lakh top-up. This brings the total annual coverage to ₹10 lakh per family for secondary and tertiary care.
“The Delhi government would be giving an additional top-up of ₹5 lakh over and above the ₹5-lakh cover provided by Central Government,” said Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta,.
Enrolments are expected to begin online within two weeks. The first batch of health cards will be distributed to senior citizens on 10 April.
“An assurance, not just insurance”: Union Health Minister
Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda described the scheme’s expansion to Delhi as a landmark moment. “It is a moment of pride that the world’s largest health coverage scheme which has been in place across 34 states and UTs in the country is finally getting implemented in the national capital as well,” said Nadda.
“This scheme is built on trust, hence it is termed as an ‘assurance’ scheme, not an insurance scheme,” he added.
Nadda explained that “all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their socio-economic status, will be covered… All pre-existing diseases will be covered from day one.”
“It is estimated that more than 6 lakh senior citizens in Delhi belonging to 4.5 lakh families will be benefited,” he said.
Who will benefit?
The scheme is set to benefit an estimated 30 lakh individuals from 6.5 lakh families. Alongside senior citizens, the coverage includes thousands of informal sector workers.
These include autorickshaw drivers, vegetable vendors, street hawkers, sanitation workers, public transport staff, lift operators, and frontline health workers such as ASHA and Anganwadi workers.
The Delhi government has committed to covering approximately 235,000 families in the initial phase.
“Delhi residents can access healthcare services under this scheme at 30,957 listed hospitals across the country,” said Chief Minister Gupta.
What’s covered under the scheme?
The updated PM-JAY package includes 1,961 medical and surgical procedures spanning 27 medical specialties. These cover treatments such as cardiac surgery, oncology, orthopaedics, and nephrology, with enhanced rates and upgraded procedural listings for hospitals.
These benefits are delivered cashless at empanelled public and private hospitals nationwide. The cost of the premium is shared between the Centre and the Delhi government in a 60:40 ratio.
Launched in 2018, PM-JAY is the health insurance arm of the broader Ayushman Bharat initiative. It was created to address the growing need for secondary and tertiary healthcare for economically weaker sections.
To date, it has provided coverage to around 550 million people, or over 12 crore families, across 34 states and union territories before Delhi’s inclusion.
Delhi becomes the 35th state or UT to adopt the scheme, after years of negotiations between state and Centre.
The expansion is also expected to tie in with another central scheme — the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM). Delhi is expected to sign a second MoU with the Centre for PM-ABHIM on 10 April, further strengthening its public health system.
With enrolment set to begin in mid-April and health card distribution kicking off on April 10, the programme marks a critical step toward universal healthcare access in the capital.
For lakhs of Delhiites — especially the elderly, workers in the informal economy, and frontline caregivers — this could prove to be a turning point in how they access medical care.
(With inputs from TOI)
The rollout follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Health Authority (NHA) of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Delhi government’s Department of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday.
Dual cover of ₹10 lakh per family
Each eligible family in Delhi will now receive up to ₹5 lakh per year under PM-JAY, with the Delhi government offering an additional ₹5 lakh top-up. This brings the total annual coverage to ₹10 lakh per family for secondary and tertiary care.
“The Delhi government would be giving an additional top-up of ₹5 lakh over and above the ₹5-lakh cover provided by Central Government,” said Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta,.
Enrolments are expected to begin online within two weeks. The first batch of health cards will be distributed to senior citizens on 10 April.
“An assurance, not just insurance”: Union Health Minister
Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda described the scheme’s expansion to Delhi as a landmark moment. “It is a moment of pride that the world’s largest health coverage scheme which has been in place across 34 states and UTs in the country is finally getting implemented in the national capital as well,” said Nadda.
“This scheme is built on trust, hence it is termed as an ‘assurance’ scheme, not an insurance scheme,” he added.
Nadda explained that “all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their socio-economic status, will be covered… All pre-existing diseases will be covered from day one.”
“It is estimated that more than 6 lakh senior citizens in Delhi belonging to 4.5 lakh families will be benefited,” he said.
Who will benefit?
The scheme is set to benefit an estimated 30 lakh individuals from 6.5 lakh families. Alongside senior citizens, the coverage includes thousands of informal sector workers.
These include autorickshaw drivers, vegetable vendors, street hawkers, sanitation workers, public transport staff, lift operators, and frontline health workers such as ASHA and Anganwadi workers.
The Delhi government has committed to covering approximately 235,000 families in the initial phase.
“Delhi residents can access healthcare services under this scheme at 30,957 listed hospitals across the country,” said Chief Minister Gupta.
What’s covered under the scheme?
The updated PM-JAY package includes 1,961 medical and surgical procedures spanning 27 medical specialties. These cover treatments such as cardiac surgery, oncology, orthopaedics, and nephrology, with enhanced rates and upgraded procedural listings for hospitals.
These benefits are delivered cashless at empanelled public and private hospitals nationwide. The cost of the premium is shared between the Centre and the Delhi government in a 60:40 ratio.
Launched in 2018, PM-JAY is the health insurance arm of the broader Ayushman Bharat initiative. It was created to address the growing need for secondary and tertiary healthcare for economically weaker sections.
To date, it has provided coverage to around 550 million people, or over 12 crore families, across 34 states and union territories before Delhi’s inclusion.
Delhi becomes the 35th state or UT to adopt the scheme, after years of negotiations between state and Centre.
The expansion is also expected to tie in with another central scheme — the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM). Delhi is expected to sign a second MoU with the Centre for PM-ABHIM on 10 April, further strengthening its public health system.
With enrolment set to begin in mid-April and health card distribution kicking off on April 10, the programme marks a critical step toward universal healthcare access in the capital.
For lakhs of Delhiites — especially the elderly, workers in the informal economy, and frontline caregivers — this could prove to be a turning point in how they access medical care.
(With inputs from TOI)
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