NATIONAL CO-ORDINATION COMMITTEE
OF PENSIONERS ASSOCIATIONS
(Registrd under
the Trade Union Act,RTU/01/2021 DATED 7.01.2021.PAN No. AAEAN8586F)
13-c Feroze Shah Road,
New Delhi. 110 001.
Website:
nccpa.ha.blogspot.in
E
mail:nccpahq@gmail.com.
Dated: 22.06.2022
Dear Comrades,
The NCCPA CHQ had been receiving
innumerable messages, communications and phone calls over the functioning of
CGHS in many towns and Cities. Most of the Pensioners had been complaining of
the non-availability of cashless treatment from the hospitals empanelled by
CGHS. The hospitals had stopped these facilities because of the huge arrear
dues accumulated on account of the non-payment of their bills by the Government. The other constant complaint had been the
exclusion of reputed hospitals from the empanelled list as the Government
through the tendering system has gone in for cheap hospitals which had no
facilities worth the name. Since the
deteriorating set up of CGHS had been giving room for similar complaints amongst
the working employees, it was decided that the Secretary Generals of
Confederation and NCCPA must call on the Additional Secretary, CGHS in the
Health Ministry. Accordingly Com. R.N. Parashar,
Secretary General, Confederation and Com. K.K.N. Kutty, Secretary General NCCPA
met Shri Alok Saxena, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health on 21.06.2022. The following issues were brought to his
notice.
(a)
Delay in payment due to empanelled hospitals,
consequent upon which the withdrawal of these hospitals from the CGHS.
(b)
The need to revise the rates of procedures,
which was fixed in 2014;
(c)
The non-availability of reputed hospitals in
many towns in the list of empanelled hospitals of CGHS.
(d)
The need to have an expeditious decision over the
health insurance scheme especially for the pensioners who stay in non-CGHS
areas;
(e)
Extension of CCS(MA) Rules to pensioners who are
not covered by CGHS.
(f)
Need to increase FMA.
(g)
Delay in the reimbursement of expenses incurred
by the pensioners in private hospitals on emergency.
(h)
Holding meeting of the National Council JCM
committee on health related demands.
Shri Saxena said that the delay
in the payment to hospitals empanelled had been due to a hitch in the system
that has come about on account of the change in the vendors. The issue is being addressed and the same
would be sorted out in a month’s time, he added. He also said that instructions have been
issued to the CGHS authorities, (spread over the country) to settle the bills
of the private hospitals where the beneficiaries have gone for treatment on
emergency restricting the entitlement to CGHS rates. He said that the beneficiaries’ complaints
are over the restriction on rates. He explained that some of the rates charged
by the Private Hospitals are exorbitant and would be difficult to accept. Regarding revision of rates, the technical
committee of Health Ministry had been periodically reviewing these rates and
wherever they had suggested for revisions, the same had been done. In respect
of other issues discussed, he assured the delegation that on receipt of the
request from the secretary Staff Side the meeting of the committee would be
convened as quickly as possible.
The last meeting of the Committee
of NC JCM was held in 2019 and even in that meeting, eleven items included in
the agenda could not be discussed. This
apart, several agenda items had been sent to the Health Ministry by the Staff
Side. In 2020, a meeting was held only
to discuss the corona related issues. Thereafter no meeting had been held and
the issues remain unresolved. The NCCPA
National Executive is expected to meet by the end of the month. Most of the
affiliates are of the opinion that unless programmes of actions are mounted the
resolution would not come about. The National
Executive of Confederation which met on 14th has also come to the
conclusion. However, the Secretary,
Staff Side National Council , who is also our President will make efforts to
have another round of discussion with
the health Ministry authorities.
With greetings,
Yours
fraternally,
K.K.N.
KUTTY
Secretary
General.
