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.
: 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 till 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 and the same is put on hold till further orders.
What is Aura ID?
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 needed.
How do you benefit from ABHA number?
Whether a government or private hospital, it gives a unique ID to the patients to maintain health records. This will often eliminate the need for patients to carry a physical copy of their medical history when 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 enable central government employees to access their health history on their mobile phones. A CGHS beneficiary can view any of his/her preferred Personal Health Records (PHR) downloaded on his/her mobile device, the ministry had earlier said. A CGHS beneficiary will be able to take an OPD appointment with a doctor by scanning a QR code through his/her mobile device while present in front of the doctor’s room or registration desk at the wellness centre.