Lok Sabha Question No. 1614 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-10
Subject: Social Security for Senior Citizens
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: RABINDRA KUMAR JENA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1614

TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2017/PHALGUNA 19, 1938 (SAKA)

## Social Security for Senior Citizens

## 1614.  SHRI RABINDRA KUMAR JENA:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a) the percentage of persons above the age of 60 in the country covered with any form of health and life insurance, Statewise;
- (b) whether the Government is aware of the recent report released by Agwell Research and Advocacy Centre, which claimed that most of India's  senior  citizens  do  not  have  a  stable source of income and at the same time need to pay for rising medical costs;
- (c)  if  so,  the  reaction  of  the  Government  thereon  along  with  the  other  key  findings  of  the report; and
- (d)  the  measures  taken  by  the  Government  for  the  welfare  of  the  senior  citizens  and  the funds allocated for them annually during the last three years?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

- (a) The State-wise list of percentage of persons above the age of 60 years covered under Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) being implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) is annexed.
- (b) No such report has come to the notice of the Government.
- (c) In view of (b) above, does not arise.

(d) Government had launched Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana (VPBY) - 2014 on 14 th  August, 2014, which is a social security scheme for Senior Citizens intended to give an assured minimum pension to  them  based  on  a  guaranteed  minimum  return  of  9%  on  the  subscription  amount.  Ministry  of Health  and  Family  Welfare  (MoH&FW)  is  implementing  Senior  Citizen's  Health  Insurance Scheme for Senior Citizens of age 60 years and above, belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) and 11 other defined designated categories such as MGNREGA  workers, Construction  workers,  Domestic  workers,  Sanitation  workers,  Mine  workers,  licensed Railway  Porters,  Street  Vendors,  Beedi  workers,  Rickshaw  Pullers,  Rag  Pickers  and Auto/Taxi  drivers  w.e.f.  01.04.2016  as  top  up  of  RSBY.  The  health  coverage  is  upto  Rs. 30,000/-  per  annum  per  senior  citizen  for  treatment  packages,  over  and  above  RSBY entitlement.

******

| Percentage of persons above the age of 60 covered under Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (   | Percentage of persons above the age of 60 covered under Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (   | Percentage of persons above the age of 60 covered under Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S.No.                                                                                      | State                                                                                      | No. of persons above 60 years of A                                                         |
| 1                                                                                          | Assam                                                                                      | 433000                                                                                     |
| 2                                                                                          | Bihar                                                                                      | 1349496                                                                                    |
| 3                                                                                          | Chhattisgarh                                                                               | 1549764                                                                                    |
| 4                                                                                          | Gujarat                                                                                    | 556350                                                                                     |
| 5                                                                                          | Himachal Pradesh                                                                           | 130587                                                                                     |
| 6                                                                                          | Karnataka                                                                                  | 1385658                                                                                    |
| 7                                                                                          | Kerala                                                                                     | 17,87,775                                                                                  |
| 8                                                                                          | Manipur                                                                                    | 11,321                                                                                     |
| 9                                                                                          | Meghalaya                                                                                  | 44617                                                                                      |
| 10                                                                                         | Mizoram                                                                                    | 71613                                                                                      |
| 11                                                                                         | Nagaland                                                                                   | 75450                                                                                      |
| 12                                                                                         | Odisha                                                                                     | 1998873                                                                                    |
| 13                                                                                         | Tripura                                                                                    | 89716                                                                                      |
| 14                                                                                         | West Bengal                                                                                | 3229702                                                                                    |
|                                                                                            | Total                                                                                      | 12713922                                                                                   |

*****