By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/NEW DELHI: Cashless treatment facilities will now be available to all CGHS beneficiaries (serving and pensioners) at 6 AIIMS located at Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Jodhpur, Raipur and Rishikesh. This significant decision was taken today, as Memorandum of Agreement were signed between these six AIIMS and CGHS, Union Health Ministry in the presence of Shri Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary.
Patient care facilities available at 6 fully functional AIIMS at Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Jodhpur, Raipur and Rishikesh shall be extended to the CGHS beneficiaries on cashless basis. It will be particularly beneficial for the 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 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.
The salient features of this initiative are as under:
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 production of 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 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 endeavors to expand the number of hospitals empaneled 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 & Research Chandigarh and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry will be incorporated in this agreement.”
Shri 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 will 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 further added that CGHS has upwardly revised certain rates of treatment and medical care, further aiding access of treatment facilities for patients.
The beneficiaries under the CGHS are referred to Government hospitals and private hospitals empaneled under CGHS for indoor treatment. CGHS pensioners and other entitled categories of CGHS beneficiaries are eligible for cashless facilities at empaneled 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, neuro surgery, gastroenterology, urology, cardio vascular thoracic surgery, oncology etc. These institutes also provide trauma and emergency care services, state of the art diagnostic services, including blood bank facilities.
The session was attended by Additional Secretary Smt V. Hekali Zhimomi, Joint Secretary Smt Ankita Mishra, Joint Secretary Dr. Manashvi Kumar, Director, CGHS, Dr. Jain among senior government officials. Executive Directors of AIIMS Bhubaneshwar, AIIMS Patna, AIIMS Raipur, AIIMS Jodhpur and representatives from AIIMS Bhopal and AIIMS Rishikesh were present at the MOA signing event.
