There is CGHS new rule (mandatory) from 1 April 2024 which mandates central govt. employees to link their CGHS beneficiary ID with ABHA ID, read details in this article.
Presently approximately 41 lakh beneficiaries are covered by CGHS in 75 cities all over India and the endeavour is to include more cities to improve the accessibility of the services. CGHS provides health care through following systems of Medicine:-
Before linking your CGHS beneficiary ID with ABHA ID, let's understand what it is and how it will help central government employees. Here is the step-by-step process of linking CGHS beneficiary ID with ABHA ID.
Download My CGHS App from Google Play Store (Android)
- First of all, go to Central government health scheme official website at https://cghs.gov.in/CghsGovIn/faces/ViewPage.xhtml
- Once you reach there, you will see "My CGHS App" download link.
- Click "Download myCGHS Android App" link.
- Direct link - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nic.cghsmobileapp
- Page to download My CGHS app will open.
- CGHS mobile app facilitates Book/Cancel/View appointment for desired time, date, doctor & Wellness Centre, search empaneled Hospitals/Lab, view News and Highlights from CGHS Website.
Apply for Plastic Card at cghs.nic.in
- Visit CGHS official website at https://cghs.nic.in/
- Click "Apply Plastic Cards" link or https://cghs.nic.in/CardUpdation_temp/otpMobile.jsp
- Enter mobile number, captcha and click "Generate OTP" button. Then enter one time password received on registered mobile number and click "Verify" button.
- Then you can apply online for plastic cards as either New Employees/Pensioners who are not CGHS beneficiaries or Existing CGHS Beneficiaries who have not applied for Plastic cards.
- On clicking first link, plastic card application form for new employees / pensioners who are non-CGHS beneficiaries will open.
- On clicking second link, plastic card application form for existing CGHS beneficiaries who have not applied for plastic cards will open.
- Print-out of the filled on-line form, duly verified by competent authority along with photographs and required documents, needs to be submitted to CGHS, for issuing of Plastic Cards.
Note - The beneficiaries whose card type needs to be changed from serving to pensioners should not apply online.
CGHS Beneficiary Login
CGHS Beneficiary Login - https://cghs.nic.in/benwelcome.jsp
CGHS Verify Beneficiaries - https://cghs.nic.in/welcome.jsp
CGHS Empanelled Hospital List / Package Rates
Empanelled Hospitals and Rates - https://cghs.nic.in/reports/view_hospital.jsp
You can find list of empanelled hospitals, diagnostic centres and CGHS rates.
About Central Government Health Scheme 2024
For the last six decades Central Government Health Scheme is providing comprehensive medical care to the Central Government employees and pensioners enrolled under the scheme. In fact CGHS caters to the healthcare needs of eligible beneficiaries covering all four pillars of democratic set up in India namely Legislature, Judiciary, Executive and Press. CGHS is the model Health care facility provider for Central Government employees & Pensioners and is unique of its kind due to the large volume of beneficiary base, and open ended generous approach of providing health care.Presently approximately 41 lakh beneficiaries are covered by CGHS in 75 cities all over India and the endeavour is to include more cities to improve the accessibility of the services. CGHS provides health care through following systems of Medicine:-
- Allopathic
- Homoeopathic
- Indian system of medicine - Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Yoga
Facilities available under CGHS
- OPD Treatment at WCs including issue of medicines.
- Specialist Consultation at Polyclinic/Govt. Hospitals and at CGHS empanelled hospitals after referral by CGHS.
- OPD/ Indoor treatment at Government and empanelled Hospitals.
- Investigations at Government and empanelled Diagnostic centers.
- Cashless facility available for treatment in empanelled hospitals and diagnostic centers for Pensioners and other identified beneficiaries.
- Reimbursement of expenses for treatment availed in Govt. /Private Hospitals under emergency and specific treatment advised by Govt. Specialist or Specialist of Pvt. HCOs duly endorsed by CMO/MO of WCs.
- Reimbursement of expenses incurred for purchase of hearing aids, artificial limbs, appliances etc., after obtaining permission.
- Family Welfare, Maternity and Child Health Services.
Eligibility Criteria for Joining CGHS
Persons eligible under the Central Government Health Scheme:-- All Central Government employees paid from the Central Civil Estimates (except Railways and Delhi Administration), including their families.including their dependent family members residing in CGHS covered areas.
- Pensioners of Central Government (except pensioners belonging to Railways and the Armed Forces) and their families.
- Central Government Pensioners retiring with Contributory Provident Fund benefits and their families.
- Widows of Central Government pensioners, in receipt of family pension.
- Delhi Police personnel and their families, in Delhi only.
- Railway Board employees.
- Civilian employees of Defence paid from Defence Service Estimates.
- Child drawing pension on death of a Central Government employee including minor brothers and sisters of such child.
- Ex-Governors and Lt. Governors and their families.
- Ex-Vice Presidents and their families.
- Central Government servants who are deputed to semi-government and autonomous bodies receiving substantial grant from, or financed by the Central Government.
- Central Govt. employees on deputation to statutory/autonomous during the period of deputation.
- Military Officers while on deputation to civil departments and getting their emoluments from Central Civil Estimates.
- Families of Governments servants transferred to a non-CGHS area, for a maximum period of six months on deposit of CGHS contribution (for the period of 6 months) in advance.
- Families of IAS Officers on North-Eastern Cadre, who continue to stay back in Delhi even after repatriation of the IAS Officer to the North Eastern Cadre, provided that they continue to occupy Government accommodation in Delhi/New Delhi, on deposit of CGHS contribution in advance (one to three years). The same also applies to families of IAS Officers of J&K Cadre.
- Parliamentary Secretaries of the Central Government and their families.
- Members of Parliament and their families.
- Ex-Members of Parliament.
- Sitting Judges of Supreme Court and High Court of Delhi and former Judges of Supreme Court and High Courts.
- Work Charged and Industrial Staff working in establishments run by various Ministries/Departments of Central Government, immediately from the date of their joining the service.
- Employees of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan stationed at Delhi & NCR, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
- Employees of Ordnance Factory Board Headquarters, Kolkata and Ordnance Equipment Factories Headquarters, Kanpur.
- All India Service pensioners who retire while serving under the State at their option.
- Freedom Fighters and members of their family receiving Central Pension under the Swatantrata Sainik Samman Pension Scheme.
- Family members of the Deceased Ex-Members of Parliament.
- Pensioners of Ordnance factories.
- Members of Staff Side of the National Council of the Joint consultative Machinery, even though not serving as Central Government employees.
- Persons employed in semi-government and autonomous bodies who are permitted to join the CGH Scheme.
- An Accredited Journalist who produces a certificate from the Press Council of India stating that he is a member of the Press Association, New Delhi (for OPD and at RML Hospital)
- Retired Divisional Accountants of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department and those whose pay and pension are entirely borne by the State governments.
- PSU employees who had commuted 100% of their pension and have been restored 1/3rd portion of their pension after 15 years.
- Employees of Statutory Bodies/Autonomous Bodies of Central Govt. (including those who proceeded on deputation initially or were on deemed deputation and then absorbed), who are in receipt of Central Civil Pension.
- Serving and retired Railway Audit Staff.
- Retired Divisional Accounts Officers and Divisional Accountants of the Office of Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
- CISF personnel (and their families) and CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) personnel posted in CGHS cities.
- Employees of Supreme Court Legal Services Committee, Employees of India Pharmacopoeia Commission, and their families.
- Family and dependent members of a Central Govt. employee (a CGHS beneficiary) who stay back in CGHS covered area after posting of the employee to N.E. region (including Sikkim), Andaman & Nicobar Lakshadweep or Ladakh region and CAPF personnel posted in Left Wing Extremist areas, on payment of annual CGHS contribution in advance.
- Defence Industrial Employees of Naval Dockyard Central Ordnance Depot and AFMSD, in Mumbai.
Central Government Health Scheme PDF - https://pensionersportal.gov.in/pdfFiles/CGHS_HandBook_28June2020.pdf
New Rule for CGHS Abha Link (Mandatory)
All those central govt. employees enrolled in Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) will now have to compulsorily link their CGHS beneficiary ID with their Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) ID. In an office memorandum dated March 28, 2024, Dept. of Health & Family Welfare said, "It has now been decided that linking CGHS beneficiary ID with ABHA ID shall be mandatory w.e.f 1st April." It further said, "The linking of CGHS beneficiary ID with ABHA ID shall be completed within 30 days by all existing CGHS beneficiaries."Before linking your CGHS beneficiary ID with ABHA ID, let's understand what it is and how it will help central government employees. Here is the step-by-step process of linking CGHS beneficiary ID with ABHA ID.
What is Ayushman Bharat Health Account ID or ABHA ID?
When you go to a government hospital or facility, it usually creates an ID against your name to keep your health records. But only that hospital or center can access that ID or health records. Each time you go to a new hospital or wellness centre or programme, a different ID is created. As a patient, you need to maintain a tab of the various IDs, documents and carry them everywhere along with you. On the other hand, every hospital or wellness centre has to create and maintain your health records separately.
To streamline the process and make it easier for both patients and hospitals, the central government has created - Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) - one account that can be used in all government hospitals and programmes. Every ABHA card contains a unique 14-digit identification number called ABHA ID. You can create an ABHA number absolutely free of cost.
How ABHA ID Will Make Your Life Easy
In Abha ID, there is less paperwork and easy access to medical records through online mode. You can think of Abha ID as a repository where you can store your medical records and access them online. From prescriptions and diagonistic reports to discharge summaries - you can store all the details in the ABHA account using your unique ID.
"ABHA number for a patient/beneficiary is a hassle-free method of accessing and sharing his/her health records digitally," the department said in a circular issued in January 2023. As the process is entirely digital, the central government employees don't have to necessarily maintain physical documents of your medical treatments. It is recommended that every citizen should have only one health ID for optimal use of the healthcare ecosystem.
Safety of Medical Records in Abha
Do keep in mind that as a patient, you have full control over your health records. You can choose what medical record you want to link with your health ID and share it with your healthcare provider. "The health records are being shared through a Health information exchange consent management system that ensures data is not shared among healthcare information providers and users without the approval of the person to whom data is related," the department said in its January 2023 circular."Only the data collected for registries such as health ID registry, healthcare professional registry and healthcare facility registry is stored centrally," as per the FAQs released by the National Health Authority on its website.
CGHS Abha Link Status Check Online if Not Having ABHA Number
If you are a central government employee who uses CGHS, here is how you can link your beneficiary ID with the ABHA ID, as per the health department’s circular issued last year. If a CGHS beneficiary does not have an ABHA number, he has to create one and then link it with his CGHS beneficiary ID. Here is the complete process of how to link CGHS beneficiary ID with ABHA ID. We have explained here the steps a CGHS beneficiary needs to follow to register for an ABHA number and link it with the beneficiary ID:-- Open your browser and enter the URL https://cghs.nic.in/
- Go to the ‘Beneficiaries’ section and click on 'beneficiary login'.
- A new window will open on the screen. You need to enter your beneficiary ID, password, and captcha and click on the 'Sign In' option.
- To create and link ABHA ID, hover the mouse on the 'Update' menu and click on "Create/Link ABHA ID".
- To create ABHA ID for family members, each family member must be mapped, after
- main cardholder logs in through “Beneficiary login”.
- Click on "I don’t have ABHA number"
- Enter your Aadhaar number, read the terms and conditions and give your consent.
- In the next step, enter the OTP sent on your mobile number registered with Aadhaar and click on the 'Verify OTP' option.
- You can see the 'Link Status' option. If the details get matched, then the user can print the ABHA card by clicking on print ABHA card.
How to Link CGHS Beneficiary ID with ABHA ID if Already Have ABHA Number
If you already have an ABHA number, log in to the CGHS website using your beneficiary ID and password in the same way mentioned above till Step 4.- Open your browser and enter the URL https://cghs.nic.in/
- Go to the ‘Beneficiaries’ section and click on 'beneficiary login'.
- A new window will open on the screen. You need to enter your beneficiary ID, password, and captcha and click on the 'Sign In' option.
- To create and link ABHA ID, hover the mouse on the 'Update' menu and click on "Create/Link ABHA ID".
- Then you need to click on the 'Link Using ABHA Number option' and enter the number. Read the consent collection form carefully and give your consent.
- Click on the 'Get OTP' option and the OTP will be sent to your mobile number registered with Aadhaar.
- Enter OTP and click on the 'Verify OTP' option.
- In the next step, you can see the status of CGHS beneficiary ID and ABHA ID. If the details match, then you can click on 'Print ABHA Card' and take a printout of it.
For more details on CGHS Abha Linking, visit the official website https://cghs.nic.in/
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