India Expands Healthcare Program for Senior Citizens, Provides ₹500,000 Annual Insurance Coverage

The Indian government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, has expanded its healthcare program to provide citizens aged 70 and above with annual medical insurance coverage of ₹500,000 ($6,000) per family. This move is part of Modi’s promise to extend healthcare benefits to vulnerable senior citizens, particularly those facing rising medical costs.

This latest expansion is expected to benefit an additional 60 million people and is an extension of Modi’s 2018 healthcare initiative, already known as the world’s largest healthcare program. The initiative, which currently covers more than 500 million citizens, offers free treatment for serious illnesses to underprivileged families, with the same annual coverage of ₹500,000.

While the expanded coverage is a significant step forward, India continues to face challenges with healthcare spending, which remains under 2% of its GDP, placing it among the lowest healthcare expenditure rates in the world.

The healthcare sector in India struggles with a shortage of hospitals, doctors, and other medical infrastructure. This new initiative aims to provide more citizens, particularly the elderly, with critical access to medical care in the face of these systemic issues.