CGHS beneficiary ID must be linked with Ayushman Bharat ID by Apr 30: Centre

New Delhi [India], April 2 : The linking of the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) beneficiary ID with the Ayushman Bharat Health Account ID will be mandatory with effect from April 1, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) said on Tuesday.
The CGHS has issued a directive, effective from April 1, 2024, requiring all current beneficiaries to link their CGHS Beneficiary ID with their Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) ID.
"It has now been decided that linking of CGHS beneficiary ID with ABHA ID shall be mandatory w.e.f 15t April 2024. The linking of CGHS Beneficiary ID with ABHA ID shall be completed within 30 days by all existing CGHS Beneficiaries," the statement said.
The linking of the CGHS beneficiary ID with the ABHA ID is aimed at creating digital health identification of CGHS beneficiaries and storing their digital health records.
The Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) was started in 1954 with the objective of providing comprehensive health care to Central Government employees and pensioners and their dependent family members. Currently, more than 41 lakh beneficiaries in 75 cities are covered by this scheme.
CGHS caters to the healthcare needs of eligible beneficiaries covering all four pillars of the democratic set-up in India, namely the Legislature, Judiciary, Executive and the media. CGHS is the model healthcare facility provider for Central Government employees and pensioners and is unique due to the large volume of people it serves and the open-ended and generous approach to providing healthcare.