Retiring State Govt Employees to Get WB Health Scheme Certificate on Retirement Day

West Bengal Health Scheme: The Finance Department has brought significant relief to retiring West Bengal state government employees by addressing a major hurdle related to post-retirement health insurance. Employees enrolled under the West Bengal Health Scheme (WBHS) will now receive their fresh enrolment certificates on the exact date of their retirement. This proactive measure ensures that they do not face any disruption in accessing essential medical services after stepping down from their service.

The Backdrop: What Necessitated This Change?

Previously, state government employees covered under WBHS during their active service tenure were required to acquire a new enrolment certificate as pensioners to keep the scheme active. However, an operational delay frequently caused a noticeable time gap between an employee’s official retirement date and the issuance of the new certificate. If a medical emergency arose during this transition period, the pensioner or their beneficiaries were unable to claim scheme benefits, leading to sudden and severe financial hardship.

What Does the New Mandate State?

To permanently resolve this recurring issue, a crucial memorandum dated 10.03.2026 has been issued by the Medical Cell of the State Finance Department. Under the Governor’s approval, the Pension Sanctioning Authority (PSA) is now strictly mandated to hand over the WBHS enrolment certificate to the retiring employee precisely on the day of their superannuation. This ensures absolutely uninterrupted medical coverage. The only exception is if the retiring employee voluntarily opts out of the health scheme.

Execution and Portal Upgrades

To guarantee a seamless transition, the government has laid out clear operational directives:

• Proactive Initiation: All PSAs are advised to commence the enrolment processing at least one month prior to the employee’s superannuation date.
• Choice-Based Processing: The entire paperwork will be processed based on the specific option selected by the employee while submitting their initial pension application.
• System Enhancements: To accommodate these administrative changes smoothly, necessary structural modifications are actively being integrated into the official WBHS Portal.

Signed by K.A. Anwar, IAS, Secretary to the Government of West Bengal, this order takes immediate effect. It stands as a highly beneficial move, offering peace of mind and continuous health security to countless future pensioners and their dependent family members.