The world’s widest health cover recently got wider. The Union cabinet extended the Ayushman Bharat scheme to cover all senior citizens aged 70 and above. By the government’s estimate, this would add about 6 crore beneficiaries to the 55 crore the scheme already covers. Seniors in families that are already covered would get a personal top-up of Rs 5 lakh. It’s a much-needed step in the world’s most populous country that is ageing fast and where health cover among elders is abysmally low. The timing is crucial, too—while one in every 10 Indians in 2022 was aged above 60, the share is expected to double by 2050.
One of the major beneficiaries of the extension will be women. About 58 percent of Indians above 70 are women and an overwhelming majority of them are widowed. Facing restricted mobility and more societal isolation than the men of their age—conditions that are known to aggravate age-related disorders—women are in greater need of such support. Another valuable input should come from the scheme’s digital mission that aims to collate longitudinal health data of those insured. This can be of immense help to the government in planning resources and researchers in understanding diseases better.
All these would be laudable outcomes, but they should be seen as part of a longer journey. The care elders need go far beyond being able to afford basic healthcare. The National Policy on Senior Citizens of 2011 addresses dignity and prevention measures, apart from finance and mobility concerns. We must ask how the state health systems, that can expect a surge in demand, are gearing up to face it.
The 2011 policy suggested building a community care network, for which we can learn from innovations in Japan and the Netherlands, where academic credit is given to students who spend time with elders. The insistence on Aadhaar should be given a second look, given that it has already kept millions from accessing other welfare schemes. If we really want to care for our elders, we cannot treat this as just another rights-based scheme where the onus is on the citizen to navigate the stodgy government machinery to claim what is due. We must make access as easy as possible.