**Executive Summary**
This document is the response to Unstarred Question No. 2188 in the Lok Sabha, to be answered on December 12th, 2025, regarding the Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana cards. The response, provided by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Shri Prataprao Jadhav, addresses the status of the Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), specifically regarding senior citizens. The document includes data on card creation, hospital admissions, and estimated beneficiaries.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Scheme Overview:**
* Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) provides health cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.
* It targets 12 crore economically vulnerable families, covering all members irrespective of age and gender.
* **Expansion for Senior Citizens (Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana):**
* In October 2024, AB-PMJAY was expanded to provide free health cover of Rs. 5 lakh per year to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, regardless of socio-economic status.
* **Card Creation and Usage:**
* As of December 5, 2025, over 93 lakh Ayushman Vay Vandana cards have been created across all States and UTs.
* As of October 31, 2025, 7.89 lakh hospital admissions amounting to Rs. 1741 crore were authorized under the Ayushman Vay Vandana category.
* **Beneficiary Numbers:**
* The scheme covers 6 crore senior citizens aged 70 years and above from 4.5 crore families.
* State/UT-wise estimated number of senior citizen beneficiaries is provided in the Annexure.
* **Scheme Improvements:**
* Expansion in treatment is ongoing through the inclusion of new procedures, empanelment of new hospitals, inclusion of new beneficiaries, and other improvements.
* State/UT wise details of the number of Ayushman Cards created can be accessed online.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Senior Citizens (70+ years)**
* **Impact:** Access to free health cover of Rs. 5 lakh per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization under the expanded AB-PMJAY scheme.
* **Action Required:** Obtain Ayushman Vay Vandana cards to avail of the benefits, check if eligible, locate empanelled hospitals.
**Stakeholder: Implementing States/UTs**
* **Impact:** Responsible for implementing and managing the Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana scheme.
* **Action Required:** Ensure effective distribution of Ayushman Vay Vandana cards, expand treatment availability through inclusion of new procedures and empanelment of new hospitals, manage claims process.
**Stakeholder: Hospitals (Empanelled Under AB-PMJAY)**
* **Impact:** Increased patient load due to the scheme, potential revenue generation from treating Ayushman Vay Vandana cardholders.
* **Action Required:** Maintain compliance with AB-PMJAY guidelines, provide quality healthcare services to beneficiaries, process claims efficiently.
Key Entities Referenced
Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY): Flagship health scheme providing health cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year, expanded to include senior citizens aged 70 years and above.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The central ministry responsible for administering and overseeing the Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana: A scheme focused on providing Ayushman cards and hospitalization benefits to senior citizens under AB-PMJAY.
India: The country where the Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) scheme is implemented.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH ANDFAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 2188
TOBE ANSWERED ON12TH DECEMBER, 2025
ISSUEOFAYUSHMAN VAYVANDANAYOJANACARDS
2188. DR. K SUDHAKAR:
Will the Minister of HEALTHAND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleased tostate:
(a) the status of Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana across the country, State/UT-wise including
Karnataka;
(b) the number of such Cards issued in the country till date, State/UT-wise especially for
Karnataka;
(c) whether the Government proposes to reduce the age limit for beneficiaries of the said
scheme from 70 to 60 years in the near future so as to extend the said benefits to all senior
citizensinthe country;
(d) if so, the detailsthereof; and
(e) the total number of identified beneficiaries under the said scheme across the country,
State/UT-wise especiallyfor Karnataka?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATEIN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTHAND
FAMILYWELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAOJADHAV)
(a) to (d):Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is a flagship
scheme of the Government which provides health cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year for
secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to 12 crore families constituting economically
vulnerable bottom 40% of India’s population.There isnocaponfamilysize andallmembers
of eligible families irrespective of age and gender are covered under the scheme. In October
2024, Government of India expanded AB-PMJAY to provide free health cover of Rs. 5 lakh
per year to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their socio-economic
status.As on05.12.2025, more than 93lakh Ayushman VayVandana cards have been createdacross
allStatesandUTs.TheState/UT-wise detailsof thenumberofAyushmanCards createdunder
Vay Vandana category for Senior Citizen can be accessed from the website:
https://dashboard.nha.gov.in/public/card. As on 31.10.2025, total 7.89 lakh hospital
admissions amounting to Rs. 1741 crore were authorized under the Ayushman Vay Vandana
category across the implementing States/ UTs. Further, expansion in treatment is done by
inclusion of new procedures, empanelment of new hospitals, inclusion of new beneficiaries
andotherimprovementsasperrequirements from time totime.
(e): The scheme covers 6 crore senior citizens of age 70 years and above belonging to 4.5
crore families irrespective of their socio-economic status. The State/UT-wise estimated
numberofseniorcitizenbeneficiariesareat Annexure.Annexure
State/UT-wise estimatednumberof senior citizen beneficiaries(70years& above)
State/UT Estimated senior citizenindividuals
Andaman& Nicobar Islands 13,329
Andhra Pradesh 25,94,554
Arunachal Pradesh 35,085
Assam 12,07,517
Bihar 39,42,479
Chandigarh 38,434
Chhattisgarh 10,97,453
Delhi 6,08,853
DNH & DD 13,062
Goa 92,727
Gujarat 28,53,690
Haryana 12,76,661
HimachalPradesh 4,72,957
Jammu & Kashmir 5,83,763
Jharkhand 11,54,024
Karnataka 33,40,390
Kerala 26,84,247
Ladakh 14,500
Lakshadweep 2,754
Madhya Pradesh 34,73,325
Maharashtra 66,26,963
Manipur 1,23,101
Meghalaya 79,201
Mizoram 42,272
Nagaland 63,403
Odisha 23,12,979State/UT Estimated senior citizenindividuals
Puducherry 73,468
Punjab 17,36,990
Rajasthan 31,45,124
Sikkim 25,261
Tamil Nadu 43,19,331
Telangana 18,02,995
Tripura 1,84,232
Uttar Pradesh 89,06,369
Uttarakhand 5,33,339
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