This is how seniors can access AVV health cover

NEW DELHI: On 29 October, the union government expanded the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) to provide free health insurance to all citizens aged 70 and above, regardless of income.

- Aprajita Sharma

To enrol for the scheme, senior citizens need to generate an Ayushman Vaya Vandana (AVV) Card. While the government has specified the process, a good number are unable to do it.

Take the case of Dilip Mamadapur, 70, from Mumbai. He did his e-KYC only to see a pop-up that said the state where he lives either does not offer the scheme or has the Model Code of Conduct in force due to elections.

The same was the case with Abhishek Agnihotri, 71, from Kanpur.

According to the customer service executive on Ayushman Bharat helpline number '14555', the model code is in force in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and some districts of Assam and Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Residents of Delhi and West Bengal cannot apply for the scheme at all. Since health is a state subject, the governments of these two regions have not allowed the central government to offer PMJAY. Those who are eligible can apply for it and download the AVV Card using the process outlined below.

How to apply