There is great news for all senior citizens aged 70 years or above. Now they will get free health cover of up to Rs 5 lakh every year, that too without any income or scheme eligibility condition. The name of this new benefit is Ayushman Vay Vandana Card, which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2024. This card is an extension of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and is especially for those elderly people who have crossed the age of 70 years or above.

Its biggest advantage is that it covers about 2000 medical treatments, and there is no waiting period. Meaning every pre-existing condition is covered from day one.

What is Vaya Vandana Card?
This card gives a health cover of Rs 5 lakh every year to all those people who are 70 years of age or above. If someone is already availing the benefits of the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY scheme, then he will get an extra top-up of 5 lakhs. Those who already have a government or private health scheme will have to choose one of these. Even those who have health coverage from a private company are also eligible for this scheme.

How to get an Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card:

First of all, download the Ayushman app from the Google Play Store on your mobile.

Open the app and choose the right option from the 'Login as beneficiary' or 'operator' option.

Enter the captcha, enter the mobile number, and choose the authentication method.

Log in by entering the OTP and captcha.

Give the app permission to access the phone's location.

Now enter the details of the beneficiary - such as the name of the state and Aadhaar-related information.

If the name does not appear in the system, then follow the process of e-KYC and give consent for OTP.

Give the declaration and fill in the required fields.

Enter the beneficiary's mobile number and OTP.

Fill in other details including category and PIN code.

Add details of family members and submit.

When e-KYC is completed and approval is received, you can download your Ayushman Vaya Vandana card.

Which treatments will be covered?

Treatments can be availed under 27 medical specialties including general medicine, general surgery, orthopedics, cardiology, and oncology with this card. Some special treatments like hemodialysis / peritoneal dialysis, acute ischemic stroke, total hip replacement, total knee replacement, PTCA, and single/double chamber permanent pacemaker implantation are also included in it.

Where will the facilities be available?

Beneficiaries of the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card can avail the benefits of this scheme in more than 30,072 hospitals across the country, including 13,352 private hospitals. And the most important thing is that all these treatments will be cashless. If you or someone in your family is 70 years or above, then definitely take advantage of this health coverage. This is not just a card, but freedom of health care.

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