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A very relieving news has come to the fore for retired central government employees and soon-to-retire officers. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW) has further simplified the CGHS process. Now the integrated ‘Bhavishya’ (Bhavishya Portal) of pensioners has been directly linked to the CGHS portal. After this historic integration, now retired employees will not have to visit welfare offices or CGHS wellness centers to get CGHS pensioner card made. Let us understand from the perspective of a business and policy reporter how this new system will work and what benefits you will get from it.
How will this integration of ‘Bhavishya’ and CGHS portal work?
Earlier, retired employees had to fill a separate form to start their pension and then had to wait for weeks by submitting separate documents to get the CGHS Pensioner Card made.
Now under the new system:
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Single Window System: The CGHS card data will be automatically fetched through the form filled on the Bhavishya portal just before the employee’s retirement.
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Online Fee Payment: Pensioners will be able to pay CGHS Contribution/Life Time Subscription Fee online only through Bhavishya Portal.
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Auto-Generation (Card with PPO): As soon as the employee’s PPO (Pension Payment Order) is issued, their provisional or digital CGHS card will also be ready immediately.
4 big benefits to pensioners
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Freedom from office hassles: Now the need for repeated visits to the CGHS Additional Director’s office to submit documents or check status is eliminated.
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Treatment facility from the very first day of retirement: Earlier, there was difficulty in getting treatment due to delay in making the card. Now cashless treatment facility can be availed in empaneled hospitals from the next day of retirement.
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Digital Download: The digital CGHS card can be downloaded directly from ‘DigiLocker’ or CGHS portal even before the plastic card physically reaches home.
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Transparency and Instant Tracking: SMS and email updates of every stage of the application will be received directly on the registered mobile number of the beneficiary.
How to apply for making a card?
If you are going to retire soon, select the CGHS option while filling your retirement form (Form 5) on the ‘Bhavishya’ portal (bhavishya.nic.in) itself. Complete the online payment by taking your and your dependents’ photo, medical history and choosing the lifetime subscription option. On the date of retirement, you will get CGHS card along with pension paper.