The expansion of Ayushman Bharat, India’s flagship health insurance scheme, represents a potential lifeline for millions of elderly citizens by providing insurance to those aged 70 and above. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of this extension on Ayurveda Day highlighted the Government’s commitment to senior citizens facing rising healthcare costs.
Ayushman Bharat was launched to provide health insurance to the economically vulnerable sections of society, offering coverage up to INR 5 lakh per family per year. It seeks to address a pressing need: India’s ageing population is increasingly at risk of being financially devastated by medical costs. Yet, states such as Delhi and West Bengal argue that their own healthcare initiatives adequately serve their populations, making Ayushman Bharat redundant. This reasoning, however, risks overlooking the broad scale and structure Ayushman Bharat can offer. As a centrally funded program, it has the potential to support states in expanding their healthcare reach. Although healthcare is a state subject in India, which grants states significant control over public health, welfare schemes like Ayushman Bharat are designed to enhance state programs by addressing gaps, offering financial support, and building infrastructure.
The Central Government’s push for healthcare reforms has been accompanied by a host of new projects, including the launch of a U-WIN portal to digitise vaccinations and AIIMS expansions across the country. These initiatives are part of a broader effort to make healthcare more accessible, visible, and centralised, utilising technology for better service delivery. Drones have been deployed to deliver supplies to 11 tertiary healthcare institutions, allowing for faster access to critical medical supplies in remote regions. The launch of helicopter emergency medical services at AIIMS Rishikesh further emphasises the Central Government’s focus on improving emergency care across the country.
The Centre’s resources and the states’ localised approaches need not be in conflict-they can complement each other effectively, prioritising health over political divides. It is essential to address the deeper issue of healthcare accessibility without letting political divisions dictate the availability of life-saving services. The current impasse deprives many elderly citizens, especially those with limited income, of the healthcare they desperately need.
Beyond Ayushman Bharat, recent healthcare investments by the Centre in facilities, institutes, and infrastructure represent an unprecedented investment in healthcare. The Centre’s investments in new medical colleges, the U-WIN portal, super-speciality blocks, and critical care blocks are major initiatives. These projects extend Ayushman Bharat’s vision of a unified, accessible healthcare system that remains affordable and effective, especially for India’s vulnerable populations. The production-linked scheme for manufacturing medical devices and critical drugs also supports the Make in India initiative, fostering healthcare self-reliance while creating thousands of jobs.
Moving forward, the Central and State Governments should explore creating a framework where schemes like Ayushman Bharat can integrate seamlessly with state programs. By setting aside political rivalries, a cooperative model would allow senior citizens across the nation, irrespective of their state, to access quality healthcare. This could be India’s opportunity to lead by example, prioritising citizen welfare over political disagreements. After all, a healthy, dignified life should be the entitlement of every Indian, free from the burdens of financial distress and certainly free from the spectre of political contention.
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