Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to officially launch the expanded Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and the U-WIN vaccination tracking portal in October, Health Minister J P Nadda announced. The updated health insurance scheme will extend coverage to all senior citizens aged 70 and above, with no income cap, benefiting approximately 60 million individuals across 45 million families.

Cashless Health Coverage of Rs 5 Lakh

The expanded AB-PMJAY scheme offers a cashless and paperless annual health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family on a floater basis, usable in impanelled hospitals across India. Since its inception, the scheme has covered over 354 million citizens, providing PMJAY cards for insurance access. The new extension specifically targets senior citizens who previously needed more comprehensive health insurance options.

U-WIN Portal to Track Vaccinations Nationwide

Alongside the AB-PMJAY launch, the U-WIN vaccination tracking portal, which is currently in a pilot phase, will also be rolled out nationwide in October. The portal has already enrolled 64.6 million beneficiaries and is expected to streamline vaccine management across the country.

New TB Treatment Regimen and AIIMS Darbhanga

In another major healthcare initiative, Nadda also announced the availability of a new tuberculosis (TB) treatment regimen under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP). The new regimen will reduce the treatment duration from nine to twelve months down to six months, benefiting around 75,000 drug-resistant TB patients.

Additionally, after a three-year delay, the Bihar government has resolved all issues related to the allotment of land for AIIMS Darbhanga, with 150.13 acres officially handed over for the institute’s construction.