Four lakh employees and pensioners of the Punjab Government have so far been enrolled and given e-cards for the Cashless Health Insurance Scheme, launched from January 1 this year.
It is for the first time that the employees have been issued Mobile e-cards and any employee can download on his/her mobile the special App “PGEPHIS” and can look into the details of the scheme, empanelled hospitals, pharmacies, claim status, and authorisation status etc. Every employee/pensioner has been informed through SMS regarding confirmation of enrollment and the link for this App.
Vini Mahajan, Principal Secretary Health & Family Welfare said there was some confusion regarding interpretation of the rates by the private hospitals, which have been notified under the scheme. When clarified, the hospitals are finding these rates to be much more reasonable and viable as compared to other schemes.
She said Fortis Mohali which is the only International level JCI accredited hospital in the northern region now stands empanelled and has agreed to provide cashless treatment to Punjab Government employees and pensioners. Some employees have already taken treatment from the Fortis, Mohali under this tie up.
Apart from this, many more big hospitals like; Fortis Amritsar, ludhiana, are providing treatment to beneficiaries under this scheme and also other tertiary care super specialty State-of-the-Art hospitals like; MAX Bathinda, IVY Hospital Mohali, Gracian Hospital Mohali, Mayo Hospital Mohali, Grewal Eye Hospital Chandigarh etc. are part of this scheme.
She said there are total 350 private hospitals all over the State, details of which are available on website www.pbhealth.gov.in, who are providing services under this scheme. She also, clarified that since AIIMS Delhi, PGIMER, GMCH Sector 32, and other big Government hospitals don’t have manpower support to carry cashless transactions, so bills of such Government hospitals will be reimbursed to the employees and pensioners by the Insurance Company.
Mahajan added that though the Insurance Company has already processed the claims of `2.69 crore for 797 employees /pensioners but there are certain teething problems with the hospitals for sending authorisation and getting approvals for which the State Government will be organising a workshop in Chandigarh in the middle of February for clarifying the doubts and training them to obtain the authorisation from the Insurance Company.
Also, she informed that chain of pharmacies are being empanelled to dispense cashless medicines to the chronic disease patients but till the registration of chronic disease patients is complete and the empanelment is in place, the employees will be getting reimbursement of their bills from the Insurance Company on the existing pattern.