Archive · 28 Nov 2025
CGHS Beneficiaries Warned Against Switching to Ayushman Bharat
The Ayushman Bharat scheme is a big health insurance plan for poor and vulnerable people in India.
It covers a lot of families and has been expanding.
However, experts say that people who already have CGHS cards, like government employees and pensioners, should not switch to Ayushman Bharat.
CGHS gives them better health benefits, like unlimited treatment and medicines for chronic diseases.
If they switch to Ayushman Bharat, they can't go back to CGHS.
So, it's better for them to stay with CGHS because it's more suitable for their needs.
Ayushman Bharat scheme has expanded to cover 12 crore families, including 6 crore senior citizens above 70 years.
CGHS beneficiaries, including central government employees and pensioners, are warned against switching to Ayushman Bharat.
CGHS offers more comprehensive benefits, including no fixed annual financial limit, OPD and IPD coverage, and 1,700+ procedures.
Switching to Ayushman Bharat is irreversible; CGHS beneficiaries cannot return to CGHS once they switch.
CGHS is better suited for existing beneficiaries due to broader treatment scope, regular medicines for chronic patients, and better continuity of care.
- Who
- CGHS beneficiaries, including central government employees, pensioners, and eligible family members
- What
- Warning against switching from CGHS to Ayushman Bharat due to potential loss of benefits
- When
- Ongoing, with recent expansions in both schemes
- Where
- India, primarily in cities where CGHS facilities exist
- Why
- CGHS offers more comprehensive and irreversible benefits compared to Ayushman Bharat for this group
- Scheme
- Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)
- Coverage
- 12 crore families, including 6 crore senior citizens above 70 years
- Eligibility
- Based on Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data
- CGHS Beneficiaries
- Central government employees, pensioners, and eligible family members
- CGHS Coverage
- No fixed annual financial limit, covers OPD and IPD, 1,700+ procedures
- Switching Risk
- No option to return to CGHS once switched to Ayushman Bharat
- ECHS
- Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme for retired Armed Forces personnel