The government’s decision to extend the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) to senior citizens above the age of 70 is a significant step towards universalising healthcare in the country. The Rs 5 lakh annual health coverage will benefit about six crore people, roughly 5 per cent of the country’s current population. But with lifespans increasing and an increasing number of people ageing in the next three decades, a fifth of India is likely to be over the age of 70 by 2050. Dealing with the challenges of this demographic transition will require far-reaching changes in welfare policies. Today, barely 20 per cent of the elderly are covered by safety nets such as the CGHS, Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana and employer-funded health schemes. Extending the ambit of the world’s publicly-funded health assurance scheme could be a step towards ensuring a more fulfilling life for this section of the population.
Since 2018, the AB-PMJAY has covered 7.37 crore hospital admissions. This is a significant achievement in a country where out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) on health is often a reason for crushing poverty. Yet, the fact that OOPE constitutes 50 per cent of all health expenses, more than two-and-half times the global average, underlines unfinished tasks. Last year, an investigation by this newspaper revealed that doctors at a premier government hospital in Delhi duped poor patients and bypassed the government health insurance scheme.
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