There was a misconception among the people for a long time regarding Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) that families having less than six members will not get Ayushman card. Now the Central Government has completely removed this misunderstanding. The government has clarified that having less than six members in the family does not mean that the family will be ineligible for the scheme. The benefit of the scheme is not given on the basis of family size, but as per the eligibility criteria set by the government.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that there is no limit on family size, age or gender for eligible families under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. That is, if a family fulfills the eligibility conditions of the scheme, then it can avail the benefits of the scheme even if it has two, three, four or five members.
How is eligibility determined?
According to the government, beneficiaries of the Ayushman Bharat scheme are identified primarily on the basis of Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) data and eligible categories notified by the government. Therefore, no one’s name is excluded from the list merely because the number of members in the family is less. The government says that if a family is included in the prescribed criteria, it will get the benefit of health insurance under the scheme, whether the family is small or big.
Special facility for those above 70 years of age
The government also informed that a separate extension of Ayushman Bharat scheme has been implemented for all senior citizens aged 70 years and above. Conditions like income, family size or socio-economic status do not apply in this category. Eligible senior citizens are given health protection benefits under the scheme.
What is available in Ayushman Bharat scheme?
Under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, cashless treatment up to Rs 5 lakh is provided every year to eligible families in empaneled government and private hospitals. The objective of this scheme is to help economically weaker families to bear the cost of treatment of serious diseases.
After this new clarification from the government, the worries of lakhs of people have gone away, who were believing that their Ayushman card cannot be made because there are less than six members in the family. It is now clear that the benefits of the scheme will be available only on the basis of eligibility criteria and not on the basis of the number of family members.
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