Cashless treatment now available to all central govt health scheme beneficiaries at 6 AIIMS

New Delhi [India], May 20 : Cashless treatment facilities will now be available to all central government health scheme (CGHS) beneficiaries, serving and pensioners, at six All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) located at Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Jodhpur, Raipur and Rishikesh.

This significant decision was taken on Monday, as memoranda of agreement were signed between these six AIIMS, CGHS and Union Health Ministry in the presence of Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan.

Patient care facilities available at six fully functional AIIMS at Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Jodhpur, Raipur and Rishikesh shall be extended to the central government health scheme (CGHS) beneficiaries on cashless basis.

It will be particularly beneficial for the senior citizens, namely retired pensioner beneficiaries of CGHS, who find it difficult to submit individual reimbursement claims and follow up approvals, according to a statement from the ministry of health.

The CGHS beneficiaries will have the advantage of accessing modern 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 delays in settlement of individual claims. Till now, CGHS pensioner beneficiaries, availing treatment at AIIMS, are required to first make payment and claim reimbursement later from CGHS.

Some of the salient features of this initiatives are the CGHS Pensioners and other entitled categories of CGHS beneficiaries will be eligible for cashless treatment in OPD, investigations and Indoor treatment at these six AIIMS. These six 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.

Other include admission of the CGHS beneficiary shall be made only against the production of valid CGHS Beneficiary ID Card for the treatment at AIIMS and AIIMS shall create a separate help desk and a separate accounting system for CGHS beneficiaries.

Additionally, 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 lauded this development stating "CGHS is a significant service-oriented vertical of the Health Ministry through which existing and retired employees can avail medical services. He further added that "the government endeavours to expand the number of hospitals empanelled under CGHS providing excellent tertiary care facilities aligned with the rising requirements of the patients."

He also stated "in the near future the AIIMS institutions established in New Delhi, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research Chandigarh and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry will be incorporated in this agreement."

Rajesh Bhushan elaborated that "a big segment will benefit from this agreement, as it seeks to ease the lengthy formalities and expedite access to medical care."

He noted that would also widen the reach of CGHS services across the nation, as this agreement allows the beneficiaries to avail the CGHS beneficiaries from the AIIMS institutions in their respective states.

He said that CGHS has upwardly revised certain rates of treatment and medical care, further aiding access to treatment facilities for patients.

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 outpatient department (OPD) and in-patient department (IPD) to central government employees, pensioners and their dependent family members, Members of Parliament (MPs), former MPs and other categories of beneficiaries. Presently CGHS is in operation in 79 cities in the country.

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