The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has made significant changes to the package rates of the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) for all beneficiaries. These changes have been made after careful examination of demands from stakeholders and the increasing costs of various healthcare components. The revision aims to provide better care for patients and improved facilities for CGHS beneficiaries.
The revision includes an increase in consultation fees for both OPD and IPD services. The OPD consultation fee has been raised from Rs 150 to Rs 350, while the IPD consultation fee has been increased from Rs 300 to Rs 350. This increase in consultation fees is expected to enable doctors to provide better care for patients and improve the overall quality of healthcare services.
ICU charges have also been revised and increased to Rs 5,400, which includes accommodation for all ward entitlements.
The updated ICU fees comprises of Rs 750 for non-NABH hospitals and Rs 862 for NABH hospitals, which encompasses monitoring, RMO charges, and nursing care.
The allowance for room rent is determined based on the ward entitlement of the recipient, which may be a general ward, semi-private ward, or private ward.
This increase in ICU charges is expected to provide better facilities to patients who require intensive care.
The revised package rates also increase room rent. The general ward room rent has been raised from Rs 1000 to Rs 1500, while the semi-private ward room rent has been increased from Rs 2000 to Rs 3000.
There has been a hike in the room rent for a private ward, which has increased from Rs 3000 to Rs 4500.
This increase in room rent is expected to improve the facilities accessible to CGHS beneficiaries and enhance their overall experience.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has also simplified the referral process under CGHS. Beneficiaries no longer need to visit the CGHS Wellness Center to obtain referrals to the hospital themselves. Instead, they can send someone on their behalf with their documents to the wellness center. Beneficiaries can now obtain referrals from medical officers either in-person after their documents have been verified or through video calls. This streamlined referral process aims to enhance the convenience of beneficiaries and facilitate their access to healthcare services.
