CGHS Empanelment: Centre warns private hospitals of April 30 final deadline

New Delhi: Private hospitals have been given a final opportunity to remain on the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) panel, with the Centre extending the deadline for completing mandatory empanelment formalities to April 30, 2026. Authorities have emphasized that no further extensions will be granted.

The directive follows an office memorandum issued on March 28 by CGHS Director Dr Satheesh Y H, allowing hospitals additional time to sign their Memorandum of Agreement (MoA). The extension comes in response to concerns raised by healthcare providers over technical difficulties with the newly introduced HEM 2.0 portal—a digital platform designed to streamline and modernise the empanelment process.  

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While the platform aims to improve transparency and efficiency by moving applications and approvals online, its rollout has delayed submissions.

Despite the reprieve, the government has drawn a clear line. Hospitals that fail to complete the process by April 30 will be de-empanelled from May 1. This would make them ineligible to treat CGHS beneficiaries or raise reimbursement claims, with re-entry requiring a fresh application.

Empanelment under CGHS is directly tied to hospital revenues. Only listed hospitals can provide cashless treatment to beneficiaries and receive reimbursements from the government. Any disruption in empanelment status could therefore impact both patient access and hospital cash flows.

Officials maintain that once empanelled, claims are processed within defined timelines, typically within 90 days. They also highlighted recent revisions to CGHS rates in October 2025 and provisions to penalize hospitals that deny or delay treatment.

However, patient groups say delays and access issues persist, pointing to deeper systemic gaps. TK Damodaran, general secretary of the CGHS Beneficiaries Welfare Association of India, noted that complaints frequently remain unresolved and disparities in care continue to affect beneficiaries.

Hospitals, meanwhile, point to financial stress. “Delays in CGHS payments — often stretching beyond three to six months — put significant pressure on hospital cash flows, especially for smaller facilities,” said Dr Aashish Chaudhry, managing director of Aakash Healthcare. He added that while care delivery remains uninterrupted, current reimbursement rates do not fully reflect rising costs, making timely payments and realistic revisions critical for sustainability, reports TOI.

The government order acknowledges that technical glitches contributed to missed deadlines, but makes it clear that this is the final extension. For lakhs of CGHS beneficiaries who rely on private hospitals, any large-scale de-empanelment could significantly disrupt access to cashless treatment across cities.

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