The Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) is a health care program run by the Indian government to provide comprehensive medical care to central government employees and their dependents. It was started in 1954 to provide medical facilities to government employees at a nominal cost.
Today, CGHS covers more than 4 million beneficiaries across India. The scheme offers various medical services, including outpatient treatment, inpatient treatment, diagnostic procedures, and emergency services. It also includes provisions for alternative systems of medicine, such as homoeopathy, Ayurveda, and Unani.
CGHS has a vast network of hospitals, clinics, and dispensaries across India, where beneficiaries can access medical care. Overall, CGHS aims to ensure that central government employees and their families have access to high-quality medical care at an affordable cost. In this article, let us read more about CGHS in detail.
Benefits Of CGHS:
The Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) provides numerous benefits to central government employees and their dependents. Some of the key benefits of the scheme include:
- Comprehensive medical coverage: CGHS provides comprehensive medical coverage to beneficiaries, including outpatient treatment, inpatient treatment, diagnostic procedures, and emergency services.
- Affordable cost: CGHS charges a nominal fee for medical services, making them accessible to government employees and their dependents.
- Wide network of hospitals: CGHS has a vast network of hospitals, clinics, and dispensaries across India, ensuring that beneficiaries can access medical care wherever they are located.
- Alternative systems of medicine: CGHS includes provisions for alternative treatment methods, such as homoeopathy, Ayurveda, and Unani, providing beneficiaries with various medical options.
- Cashless transactions: CGHS offers cashless transactions, making it convenient for beneficiaries to access medical services without worrying about upfront payments.
- Transparency: CGHS maintains transparency in medical care delivery and pricing, ensuring that beneficiaries receive high-quality medical care at a reasonable cost.
- Preventing diseases: CGHS also focuses on preventive healthcare by providing regular health checkups, immunisations, and health education programs.
The CGHS scheme provides comprehensive and affordable medical care to central government employees and their dependents. The vast network of hospitals and alternative systems of medicine ensure that beneficiaries have access to a range of medical options, while cashless transactions and transparency in pricing make it a convenient and reliable choice for medical care.
Who Are Eligible For CGHS?
The Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) is available to the following categories of people:
- Central Government employees: All serving central government employees, including those working in autonomous bodies, are eligible for the CGHS.
- Pensioners: All central government pensioners, including their dependent family members, are eligible for the CGHS. They must apply for the CGHS card and their pension papers.
- Members of Parliament: Members of Parliament and their dependent family members are also eligible for the CGHS.
- Employees of some statutory bodies: Some statutory bodies, such as the Election Commission of India, are also eligible for the CGHS.
- Accredited journalists: Accredited journalists and their dependent family members can also avail of the CGHS benefits.
- Freedom Fighters: Freedom fighters and their dependent family members are also eligible for the CGHS.
- Retired employees of certain autonomous bodies: Retired employees of certain independent bodies that have adopted the CGHS can also avail themselves of the scheme’s benefits.
It is important to note that eligibility criteria may vary depending on the location and type of CGHS facility. For example, some CGHS facilities may only be available to serve central government employees and not pensioners. It is recommended to check with the nearest CGHS facility to determine eligibility criteria and other details.
How To Apply For Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS)?
If you are a central government employee or dependent and wish to apply for a CGHS card, you can follow these steps:
- First, go to the official website of CGHS, i.e. (https://cghs.nic.in/).
- Then click the “Apply Plastic Cards” on the top menubar on the homepage.
- On the next page, there will be a verification form where you need to enter your details, such as the mobile number and captcha code. You will receive an OTP on your mobile number, which you need to enter to verify your account.
- Then on the next page, you will see “Apply Online For Plastic Cards”, where you will get two options, i.e. ‘new employees/pensioners who are not CGHS Beneficiaries and ‘existing CGHS Beneficiaries who have not applied for CGHS Plastic cards’. Choose according to your preference.
- If new, choose the new employees/pensioners who are not CGHS beneficiaries.
- Then on the next page, enter the required details such as name, job type, date of birth, residential address, and others.
- Check also if your headquarters/office falls under CGHS Coverage as well.
- Then proceed once everything is filled up correctly, and you will be given an acknowledgement number. Keep that safe for future reference, then click OK.
- Then on the next page, you need to add your family details.
- After that, there will be an ‘application for new CGHS card’. Fill up your details and take out a print of the form.
- Then you must submit this form, and all your background verification will occur.
Therefore, applying for a CGHS card is a simple process that can be done online by following the abovementioned steps. It is essential to ensure you have all the necessary documents and details before applying for the card.
Maximum Coverage Of CGHS:
The Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) provides comprehensive medical coverage to central government employees and their dependents. The maximum coverage the scheme provides varies depending on the type of medical service and the location of the CGHS facility.
- Outpatient Treatment: The maximum coverage for outpatient treatment is Rs. 1,00,000 per beneficiary per year. This includes consultation fees, diagnostic procedures, and medicines.
- Inpatient Treatment: The maximum coverage provided by CGHS is Rs. 5,00,000 per beneficiary per year. This includes room rent, nursing charges, surgeon fees, anaesthesia fees, and other related medical expenses.
- Ambulance Services: CGHS also provides coverage for ambulance services. The maximum range for ambulance services is Rs. 2,000 per trip.
- Prosthetic Devices: The scheme also covers the cost of prosthetic devices such as artificial limbs and hearing aids. The maximum coverage for prosthetic devices is Rs. 15,000 per beneficiary per year.
- Alternative Systems of Medicine: CGHS also covers alternative systems of medicine such as homoeopathy, Ayurveda, and Unani. The maximum coverage for these treatments is Rs. 10,000 per beneficiary per year.
- It is important to note that these are the maximum coverage limits provided by CGHS. The actual coverage may vary depending on the specific medical service and the location of the CGHS facility.
CGHS Customer Care Number:
The Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) has a toll-free customer care number that can be used to contact the CGHS helpdesk for any queries or assistance related to the scheme. The CGHS customer care number is 1800-208-8900. This number is available from Monday to Saturday, between 8 AM to 8 PM.
In addition to the toll-free number, CGHS also provides contact information for its various offices located across different cities in India. These details can be found on the official CGHS website (cghs.gov.in). CGHS beneficiaries can also contact the nearest CGHS wellness centre for any queries or assistance related to the scheme.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Central government employees, pensioners, dependents, accredited journalists, and others as per rules.
Visit the official CGHS website and enter the registration or IP numbers.
The CGHS card is valid for five years from the issue date.
Summing Up:
The Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) is a comprehensive health care program for central government employees and their dependents. It provides a wide range of medical services, including outpatient and inpatient treatments, ambulance services, and alternative systems of medicine.
The maximum coverage the scheme provides varies depending on the medical service and the location of the CGHS facility. The scheme has made quality health care accessible to many people and has improved central government employees and their family’s health and well-being.