THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, launched by the Central Government to ensure free medical treatment for people above 70 years of age, has not yet been implemented in Kerala. The state government argues that the scheme requires special funding from the central government.

Introduced in 2018, the scheme offers free medical treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh per year to low-income families, with 60% of the funding provided by the Centre and the remaining 40% by the State.

In Kerala, the programme operates as the Ayushman Bharat–Karunya Suraksha Padhathi (AB-KASP), under which every member of a poor family is eligible for treatment coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh. However, under a new component introduced last year, individuals aged 70 and above are entitled t

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