Major Changes to West Bengal Health Scheme! Urgent News for Employees and Pensioners
West Bengal Health Scheme: There is extremely important news for state government employees and pensioners. The Finance Department of the Government of West Bengal has issued a new notification regarding the West Bengal Health Scheme (WBHS). This notification extends the deadline for enrolment and data updates for employees and pensioners. Let’s take a detailed look at the important points of this new directive.
New Deadline for Enrolment
According to the notification issued by the state’s Finance Department, the last date for employees and pensioners to enrol in the West Bengal Health Scheme (WBHS) has been extended to 31st October, 2025. This is a significant opportunity for those who have not yet enrolled in the scheme. However, for new appointees to government service, the existing timeline for enrolment will continue to apply as per the earlier notification from 2012.
Special Provisions for Retired Employees
Government employees who were enrolled under the WBHS at the time of their retirement will be considered to remain covered under the scheme from their date of retirement, unless they choose to opt out.
In cases where there is a delay in receiving the Pension Payment Order (PPO) from the Accountant General, West Bengal, the Pension Sanctioning Authority (PSA) can enrol the retired government employee under the ‘Non-PPO’ category on the WBHS Portal. This ensures that there is no disruption in accessing health scheme benefits even if the PPO is delayed.
Mandatory Information Update
Most enrolled employees and pensioners have already received their digitally signed enrolment certificates, which include a photo, signature, and blood group for each beneficiary. However, a small number have not yet completed these necessary steps. All Heads of Offices (HoOs) and Pension Sanctioning Authorities (PSAs) have been instructed to take special initiative to complete the issuance of these digital certificates for all remaining individuals by 31st October, 2025.
Aadhaar Number Linking is Compulsory
As per a Finance Department order from February 2022, linking Aadhaar numbers for each enrolled beneficiary under the WBHS was made mandatory. While a majority have submitted their Aadhaar details, there are still some pending cases. All HoOs and PSAs are requested to take immediate and special initiatives to ensure that the Aadhaar numbers for the remaining employees, pensioners, and their beneficiaries are correctly updated in the WBHS Portal on or before 31st October, 2025.
Deadline for Old Medical Claims
The final settlement date for claims related to treatments received before the online facility was launched (prior to 1st July, 2022) has been set as 31st December, 2025. This will be subject to the explicit approval of the Medical Cell, Finance Department.
This new notification supersedes all previous orders on the subject and takes immediate effect. It is crucial for all government employees and pensioners to be aware of these changes. Please complete your enrolment and data updates in a timely manner to avail the full benefits of the West Bengal Health Scheme.
