The Bihar government has approved a major healthcare initiative that will allow State employees, pensioners and their dependents to access cashless medical treatment at empanelled hospitals. The decision was cleared during a cabinet meeting chaired by Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.
Under the new Bihar Government Health Scheme, serving and retired Bihar government employees, family pensioners, All India Service officers, legislative members and their dependents will be covered. The move is expected to ease the financial burden of hospitalisation and make treatment more accessible for employees and their families.
The facility will mainly support indoor patient care, enabling beneficiaries to receive treatment without making immediate payments at hospitals. Medical expenses covered under the scheme will instead be settled directly through the designated system. Beneficiaries will receive health cards to avail the services.
The State government also plans to connect major hospitals within Bihar and outside the State to the scheme network. Detailed operational guidelines, including possible spending limits and coverage conditions, will be issued later by the Health Department.
At present, Bihar government employees receive a monthly medical allowance of Rs 1,000. Under the revised arrangement, Rs 900 will reportedly be deducted towards the health scheme. Existing medical reimbursement provisions for employees are also expected to continue in some form alongside the new system.
The initiative is aimed at simplifying healthcare access for thousands of government workers and retirees, many of whom currently depend on reimbursement-based medical support that often involves delays and paperwork.
Apart from the healthcare decision, the cabinet approved several other proposals linked to land- acquisition reforms, urban survey rules and the purchase of electric and hybrid vehicles for Patna High Court judges. A total of 27 decisions were cleared during the cabinet meeting.
