Shashi Tharoor urges revision of Ayushman Vay Vandana funding

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has urged the Indian government to revise the funding structure of the Ayushman Vay Vandana scheme. Speaking under Rule 377 in the Lok Sabha, Tharoor argued that the current 60:40 Centre-State funding model places a disproportionate financial burden on states with ageing populations.

Tharoor specifically highlighted Kerala, noting it has the country’s highest proportion of elderly citizens. He pointed out that because central financial assistance is subject to a prescribed per-beneficiary-family ceiling, states must cover all expenditures exceeding that limit. Since senior citizens generally require more frequent and costly medical care, Tharoor requested that the Union Finance Minister develop a financing mechanism that accounts for demographic differences between states.

The Ayushman Vay Vandana scheme, an expansion of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), provides annual health coverage of Rs 5 lakh to all senior citizens aged 70 and above, regardless of socio-economic status. The expansion aims to cover approximately six crore senior citizens from 4.5 crore families.