Telangana Launches Cashless Health Scheme for Employees, Pensioners

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Friday launched a revamped Employee Health Scheme (EHS) for government employees and pensioners, describing it as a major step towards ensuring comprehensive and worry-free healthcare for public servants and their families.

The scheme was inaugurated at the State Secretariat in the presence of Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha , who joined the Deputy Chief Minister in distributing health cards to beneficiaries.

Addressing the gathering, Bhatti Vikramarka said the government had introduced the new scheme after witnessing the financial distress faced by many employees who were forced to borrow money to meet medical expenses. He said the initiative would provide completely cashless inpatient treatment , eliminating the burden of healthcare costs during medical emergencies.

According to the government, the programme will benefit nearly 8 lakh government employees and pensioners and around 29.8 lakh dependent family members . Beneficiaries can access treatment through a network of 886 empanelled private hospitals and 114 government hospitals across Telangana without making any direct payment.

The Deputy Chief Minister said the scheme covers 1,816 medical and surgical procedures , aligned with packages available under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) . He added that the government's objective is to ensure quality healthcare services without imposing any financial strain on employees and their families. A dedicated trust comprising government officials and representatives of employee associations has been established to oversee the implementation and monitoring of the scheme.

Bhatti Vikramarka also highlighted the government's efforts to clear long-pending employee dues. Criticising the previous BRS government , he said employee concerns had remained unresolved for a decade. The present administration, he said, is addressing nearly ₹10,000 crore in pending bills , releasing about ₹2,000 crore every month . He noted that he personally reviews the process every fortnight to ensure that no legitimate dues remain pending.

The Deputy Chief Minister said a Cabinet Sub-Committee constituted by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and comprising Ministers D. Sridhar Babu, Ponnam Prabhakar and Seethakka had held extensive deliberations before finalising the policy framework.

He further noted that the government had increased the coverage limit under Rajiv Aarogyasri from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh and reiterated its commitment to strengthening healthcare and education. He urged government employees to work with renewed enthusiasm and help ensure the effective implementation of welfare initiatives such as subsidised fine rice distribution, free bus travel for women and 200 units of free electricity for eligible households.

Among those present were Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju , Health Principal Secretary Dr Christina Z. Chongthu , Finance Principal Secretary Sandeep Kumar Sultania , and leaders of employee associations.