Free medicare for elderly

Many developed and developing countries provide either free medical treatment including medicines and hospitalisation or on subsidised cost, to their senior citizens. The Government of India had launched National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly (NPHCE) during 2010-11 with a view to providing separate and specialized comprehensive health care facilities to senior citizens at various levels of state health care delivery system including outreach services. The health care facilities, being provided under this programme, are either free or highly subsidised.

The major activities of the NPHCE are as follows:
i) Setting up of geriatric department in identified Regional Geriatric Centres (RGCs) with OPD care services and 30-bedded geriatric ward for providing indoor services. RGCs will also undertake PG Courses in Geriatric for developing Human Resource
ii) Setting up of 10 bedded Geriatric units at all district hospitals that will provide indoor services for elderly during hospitalization;
iii) Establishment of rehabilitation unit at all Community Health Centres (CHCs) and geriatric clinic twice/week; and
iv) Setting up weekly geriatric clinic by trained medical officer at Primary Health Centres (PHCs).
Apart from this, the Government of India launched a Senior Citizen Health Insurance scheme with effect from 01.04.2016, as a top-up scheme of Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (The Yojna launched in early 2008 is a health insurance scheme for the below poverty line families with the objectives to reduce out of pocket expenditure on health and increase access to health care. It also covers informal sector workers).

The Senior Citizen Health Insurance scheme will provide health coverage to senior citizen who are aged 60 years and above belonging to BPL category. Under this scheme, the health coverage is for Rs 30,000 per annum per senior citizen for treatment packages, over and above RSBY entitlement. The scheme would be cashless and run on the RSBY platform as an add-on cover.

The add-on cover of Rs 30,000 per senior citizen will be for treatment of senior citizen only. Senior citizens are also eligible for cover under the primary RSBY on family floater basis of Rs. 30,000. Public Health is a State subject Under the National Health Mission, but the Centre extends support to States/UTs for provision of drugs free of cost to all those who access public health facilities including the elderly population.