Delhi's Sanjeevani Yojana: What Arvind Kejriwal has proposed to offer to senior citizens after Delhi elections

Delhi elections 2025: Recently, former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal introduced the Sanjeevani Yojana aimed at providing free medical treatment to all senior citizens aged 60 and above residing in the national capital. 

AAP leader Kejriwal, who is expected to lead the party in the elections to the 70-member Delhi assembly, introduced the Sanjeevani scheme, offering free medical care to individuals over the age of 60, regardless of their financial status or treatment expenses. This initiative, contingent upon the party's continued governance in the national capital, ensures cost-free medical services for senior citizens at both government and private hospitals.

This initiative differs from the central government's Ayushmann Bharat Yojana, as it is specifically designed for the people of Delhi and is not covered under the national scheme. To learn more about the Sanjeevani Yojana, its implementation timeline, and the registration process, continue reading.

Sanjeevani Yojana: What we know so far

Senior citizens residing in Delhi who are 60 years of age or older are entitled to receive complimentary medical care at both private and public hospitals through this programme, regardless of their financial status. All medical expenses will be covered by the Delhi government. However, only individuals with permanent residency in Delhi are qualified to avail of these benefits. Individuals with documents such as a voter ID or Aadhaar card confirming their permanent address in the city are eligible to enroll in this initiative.

As per recent Kejriwal's announcement, individuals above 60 years of age are eligible to receive medical treatment without any cost cap at private and government hospitals in the city. Members of AAP will commence household enrollment for this program soon. It is important to acknowledge that this initiative will only be implemented if AAP secures victory in the upcoming Delhi elections next year.

Sanjeevani Yojana vs Ayushman Bharat

Kejriwal's recent announcement follows a recent dispute between the opposition BJP and the ruling AAP regarding the lack of implementation of the Centre's Aayushmaan Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY).

The Sanjeevani Yojana in Delhi would offer a different medical insurance scheme compared to the national Ayushman Bharat scheme, which is not currently applicable in the capital. Under Ayushman Bharat Yojana, individuals over the age of 70 are eligible for medical insurance of up to Rs 5 lakh on a family-floater basis. This means that if a family has 2 members aged over 70, they will receive a combined insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per annum, rather than individual coverage. On the other hand, the Sanjeevani Yojana in Delhi provides free treatment for all residents over the age of 60, with no upper limit on the treatment amount.

The Sanjeevani Yojana offers an unlimited treatment amount for individuals over 60 years old residing in Delhi, regardless of their income status. Unlike the limited Rs 5-lakh health insurance coverage provided to senior citizens over 70 under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, the state government covers all treatment expenses under Sanjeevani Yojana. There is no income cap for enrollment, making this scheme accessible to all individuals, whether they fall under the APL or BPL category.

Ayushman Bharat

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri- Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) is a flagship initiative of the Government aimed at providing health coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to around 55 crore beneficiaries, equivalent to 12.37 crore families belonging to the economically vulnerable bottom 40 percent of India's population.

As of November 30, 2024, a total of 36 crore beneficiaries have been verified under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri- Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, disclosed this information in a written response in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

Furthermore, there have been 8.39 crore hospital admissions authorised under the scheme, amounting to over Rs 1.16 lakh crore. This has resulted in significant savings for beneficiaries in terms of Out-of-Pocket-Expenditure (OOPE) related to hospitalization expenses. 

The implementation of the AB PM-JAY scheme in many States/UTs has led to the convergence of their State Health Insurance Schemes, resulting in an increase in the number of families covered under government-funded medical insurance to over 18 crore. Additionally, in March 2024, 37 lakh families of ASHA, Anganwadi Workers, and Anganwadi Helpers were also enrolled in the scheme. 

Furthermore, on October 29, 2024, AB PM-JAY was extended to provide free treatment benefits of up to Rs 5 lakh per year to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, regardless of their socio-economic background. It is estimated that there are 4.5 crore beneficiary families aged 70 years and above nationwide, totaling 6 crore individuals under the scheme.