Over 96 lakh elderly enrolled under Ayushman Vay Vandana health scheme

More than 96 lakh Ayushman Vay Vandana cards have been issued across States and Union Territories till December 31, 2025 , Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Under the scheme, 10.33 lakh hospital admissions worth ₹2,154.37 crore have been authorised so far. Of these, 3.93 lakh admissions costing ₹820.42 crore were for female beneficiaries, while 6.40 lakh admissions involving ₹1,333.94 crore were for male beneficiaries, the minister said in a written reply.

The Ayushman Vay Vandana card is an extension of the Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) , which provides cashless health cover of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation.

The Vay Vandana component was launched in October 2024 to provide health coverage to senior citizens aged 70 years and above , irrespective of their socio-economic status. The expansion aims to address the higher healthcare needs and medical expenses of the elderly, covering nearly six crore senior citizens from about 4.5 crore families.

Currently, over 33,000 hospitals , including 15,733 private hospitals , are empanelled under AB-PMJAY, and Vay Vandana cardholders can avail treatment at any empanelled hospital across the country.