Ayushman Bharat Upgrade: Treatment Coverage Now Doubled to ₹10 Lakh

With rising medical costs and inflation touching everyday life, healthcare has become one of the biggest financial burdens for families. To ease this pressure, the central government is running several welfare schemes, and one of the most impactful among them is the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) under Ayushman Bharat . This scheme is giving millions of families access to essential medical treatment without worrying about hospital bills.

Coverage Doubled for Many Families

Earlier, Ayushman Bharat offered a health insurance cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year. Now, in a major relief, many eligible families are receiving up to ₹10 lakh in coverage. However, this benefit applies only to those who meet the government’s criteria.

What Is Ayushman Bharat ?

Ayushman Bharat is the country’s flagship health insurance program aimed at protecting poor and vulnerable families from high medical expenses.
Under this scheme:

• Families get cashless treatment up to ₹5 lakh annually
• Coverage applies to thousands of empanelled hospitals nationwide
• Both serious and secondary illnesses are included
• Pre-existing diseases are fully covered

Who Can Benefit?

One of the most inclusive features of PMJAY is that it covers the entire family, spouses, children, parents, grandparents, siblings, and even in-laws living under the same household. There is no age or gender restriction.

Special Benefits for Senior Citizens Above 70

Last year, the government introduced a special top-up for senior citizens.
If any family member covered under PMJAY is 70 years or older, they receive an additional ₹5 lakh health cover.

This means their total coverage can go up to ₹10 lakh, giving elderly members greater financial security during medical emergencies.

Eligibility for the 70+ Top-Up

To avail the additional benefit:

• The person must be 70 years or older
• Aadhaar card will be used for age verification
• Eligible members only need to complete Aadhaar eKYC re-verification

What Extra Benefits Do the Elderly Get?

Senior citizens, especially those above 80 years, enjoy several added advantages:

• Full scheme benefits without restrictions
• Free annual health check-up
• Coverage for everything, from secondary care to advanced tertiary care, including surgeries, specialist treatments, and even organ transplants

With enhanced coverage and wider benefits, the PM Jan Arogya Yojana is helping families stay financially stable even during severe medical crises. For senior citizens, the increased cover ensures better healthcare access at a time when they need it the most.