New Delhi: Cashless treatment facilities will now be available to all Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) beneficiaries (serving and pensioners) at 6 AIIMS located at Patna, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Raipur and Rishikesh.
A Memorandum of Agreement to this effect was signed between these six AIIMS and CGHS, Union Health Ministry in the presence of Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, here today.
Till now, CGHS pensioner beneficiaries, availing treatment at AIIMS, were required to first make payment and claim reimbursement later from CGHS.
Following the decision, patient care facilities available at these six fully functional AIIMS shall be extended to the CGHS beneficiaries on a cashless basis. It will be particularly beneficial for senior citizens (retired pensioner beneficiaries of CGHS) who find it difficult to submit individual reimbursement claims and follow-up approvals.
The CGHS beneficiaries will have the advantage of accessing state of art treatment facilities available in these AIIMS, without the hassle of first making payments and then seeking reimbursements from CGHS. This initiative will save time, reduce paperwork and also the delays in the settlement of individual claims.
The salient features of this initiative are as under:
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- The CGHS Pensioners and other entitled categories of CGHS beneficiaries will be eligible for cashless treatment in OPD, investigations and Indoor treatment at these 6 AIIMS.
- These 6 AIIMS shall raise credit bills of CGHS Pensioners and other categories of eligible beneficiaries to CGHS and CGHS shall preferably make payment within 30 days of receipt of the bills.
- Admission of the CGHS beneficiary shall be made only against the production of a valid CGHS Beneficiary ID Card for the treatment at AIIMS.
- AIIMS shall create a separate Help Desk and a separate accounting system for CGHS beneficiaries.
- Medicines prescribed by the doctors at AIIMS, for OPD treatment or at the time of discharge from AIIMS, will be collected by the beneficiaries through CGHS.
The Health Secretary said the government endeavours to expand the number of hospitals empanelled under CGHS and stated, “In the near future the AIIMS institutions established in New Delhi, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research Chandigarh and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry will be incorporated in this agreement”.
The beneficiaries under the CGHS are referred to Government hospitals and private hospitals empanelled under CGHS for indoor treatment. CGHS pensioners and other entitled categories of CGHS beneficiaries are eligible for cashless facilities at empanelled hospitals. CGHS provides comprehensive healthcare (both OPD & IPD) to Central Government employees, pensioners and their dependent family members, Hon’ble Members of Parliament, ex-MPs and other categories of beneficiaries. Presently CGHS is in operation in 79 cities in the Country.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) 22 new AIIMS have been established across the country and they are at varying stages of operationalization. Besides providing facilities for quality medical education and research, these Premier institutions provide specialized patient care health services in various specialities and super specialities including cardiology, neurology, neurosurgery, gastroenterology, urology, cardiovascular thoracic surgery, oncology etc. These institutes also provide trauma and emergency care services, and state-of-the-art diagnostic services, including blood bank facilities.
– global bihari bureau
