CGHS Cardholders: Good news for central government employees. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that the requirement to link the Central Government Health Service (CGHS) beneficiary ID with the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) ID has been put on hold till further orders.
CGHS Cardholders: Good news for central government employees. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that the requirement to link the Central Government Health Service (CGHS) beneficiary ID with the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) ID has been put on hold till further orders. The ministry said that it had reviewed its earlier order to compulsorily link the two IDs CGHS and ABHA to arrive at this decision. The Health Ministry had earlier made it mandatory for all CGHS beneficiaries to link their beneficiary ID and ABHA ID. The order was to come into effect from April 1, 2024. It was later extended to June 30, 2024.
In an office memorandum dated June 25, 2024, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that reference is invited to Office Memorandum No. Z 15025/23/2023/ DIR/ CGHS dated 28.03.2024, wherein linkage of CGHS beneficiary ID with Ayushman Bharat Health Account ID (ABHA) has been made mandatory and to inform that the matter has been reviewed in the ministry. The same is put on hold till further orders.
What is ABHA ID?
The ABHA number is a 14-digit unique number to access, link and share your health records across multiple systems digitally. Like a bank account number, it is a unique number to identify you and authenticate you when required.
How do you benefit from ABHA number?
Hospitals, whether government or private, give unique IDs to patients to maintain health records. This will eliminate the need for patients to carry physical copies of their medical history while seeking treatment elsewhere. The complete record will be available with this unique ID.
How linking CGHS beneficiary ID with ABHA numbers will help central government employees
Linking CGHS beneficiary ID with ABHA numbers will allow central government employees to access their health history on their mobile phones. The ministry had earlier said that a CGHS beneficiary can view any preferred personal health record (PHR) downloaded on his mobile device. A CGHS beneficiary will be able to take an OPD appointment with a doctor by scanning a QR code through his mobile device present in front of the doctor’s room or registration desk at the wellness center.
