The Andhra Pradesh Government has launched Employees’ Health Scheme (http://www.ehf.gov.in/) on 31st October 2014. There are several health benefits for the government employees under this scheme. It is estimated that about 22 lakhs of government employees and their family members will get benefits of Employees’ Health Scheme in Andhra Pradesh.
The Health cards will be issued under ‘NTR Arogya Seva Trust’, a rechristened Rajiv Aarogya Sri Scheme. The Health cards will benefit 22 lakh persons, which includes 3.9 lakh employees and 3.5 lakh pensioners, together with their families.
The cards also offer outpatient facility for 25 kinds of ailments and there will be a 24X7 emergency and call centre support. Most important feature of the scheme is cashless treatment will be offered through the health card at all government and private hospitals.
Under the scheme, 40 percent of the estimated cost will be collected from the beneficiaries, and the remaining cost will be borne by the government. Other benefits of the Employees’ Health Scheme are:
1) Fifteen per cent of the cost will be spent on diagnostics, medicines and doctors’ appointments.
2) Employees over 40 years age may get health checkups once a year at free of cost and this will be done in the notified hospitals. The government will issue separate guidelines for this purpose.
3) The government will also run special clinics between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., in all area, district and teaching hospitals for employees those suffering from chronic ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, kidney and heart related ailments, apart from tuberculosis and leprosy.
4) These clinics will have the facilities of sample collection and radiology and charge Rs.50 per patient for doctor’s consultation, and Rs.100 for super specialty health services. The beneficiaries can fix appointments with doctors online.