4 lakh enroll for cashless health insurance scheme

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Government had launched the cashless health insurance scheme for its employees and pensioners on 1st Jan this year and so far, four lakh employees and pensioners have been enrolled and given e-cards. It is for the first time in India, 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 authorization status etc.
Every employee/pensioner has been informed through SMS regarding confirmation of his/her enrollment and the link for this App. This was revealed by Vini Mahajan, principal secretary health and family welfare, Punjab. She said that though initially there was some minor confusion regarding interpretation of the rates notified under the scheme, by some private hospitals. When clarified, the hospitals are finding these rates to be much more viable as compared to other schemes.
Mahajan further informed that Fortis Hospital, Mohali which is the only International level J.C.I accredited hospital in the northern region now stands empanelled and has agreed to provide cashless treatment to Punjab Government employees and pensioners. 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 further disclosed that 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. Mahajan added that though the insurance company has already processed the claims of Rs. 2.69 crore for 797 employees / pensioners, there are certain teething problems with the hospitals for sending authorization and getting approvals for which the state government will be organizing a workshop soon for clarifying the doubts and training them to obtain the authorization 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 empanellment is in place, the employees will be getting reimbursement of their bills from the insurance company on the existing pattern.