Assam govt revamps health scheme, brings cashless care for employees, pensioners
Sarma said beneficiaries would be able to choose between the traditional Mukhya Mantri Lok Sevak Arogya Yojana & new model
The cabinet meeting udnerway in Guwahati, on Wednesday. (Photo:@CMOfficeAssam/X)
Guwahati, Oct 29: The Assam government, on Wednesday, relaunched the Mukhya Mantri Lok Sevak Arogya Yojana with several employee-friendly modifications at Lok Sewa Bhawan.
Under the new simplifications, government employees, pensioners and their dependents will now have easier access to healthcare reimbursements through a cashless facility at empanelled hospitals.
“The earlier policy required employees to spend first and then claim reimbursement. For complex diseases like liver or kidney transplants, arranging large sums was nearly impossible. We held extensive discussions with employees and revised the plan based on their feedback,” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Offering assurance to those registered under the old scheme, Sarma said beneficiaries would be able to choose between the traditional reimbursement model and the new cashless system.
All state medical colleges, hospitals under the Assam Cancer Care Foundation, the Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute, GNRC, Down Town Hospital, Medanta Hospital (Gurgaon), Max Healthcare, and Srimanta Sankaradeva Netralaya have been empanelled for cashless treatment.
“If a hospital does not accept cashless payments, the reimbursement system will continue to remain open. We do not want to restrict people’s choice of hospital,” Sarma said.
Sarma added that the previous model involved multiple layers of approval, often forcing employees to wait up to two years for their dues.
“The old scheme had certain discrepancies and even illegal rackets, which caused distress, especially for retired employees,” he said.
So far, 2,23,826 employees and 6,072 pensioners have registered under the scheme. “Registration will remain open at all times, even after a medical diagnosis,” he added.
Sarma also announced that employees of APDCL, AEGCL, APGCL, and contractual and wage employees will soon be eligible to register under the scheme.
The scheme was originally launched on October 2, 2023, with the aim of simplifying the medical treatment process for state government employees.