Leaders of the pensioners’ association in Gadwal submitted a petition to District Collector BM Santhosh regarding unresolved issues faced by state government pensioners. The main concern highlighted was the non-implementation of the Employee Health Scheme (EHS), which aims to provide cashless medical treatment to government employees, pensioners, and hospitals.
The association pointed out that despite the scheme being initiated in Andhra Pradesh, it has not been implemented yet. Elderly pensioners often struggle with various health issues and face financial challenges when seeking medical treatment, as they have to pay large sums of money for hospitalization.
They mentioned that they have submitted 18 petitions to the government, proposing deductions from basic pay/pension for cashless medical treatment as per Commission recommendations. Previous government orders were issued, but no follow-up action has been taken.
There are significant delays in processing medical bill reimbursements, sometimes taking years. Even when payments are made through e-Kubera, they cover only a small portion of the expenses. The association welcomed the government’s decision to increase the maximum amount under the Arogya sree scheme but emphasized the need for effective implementation and timely resolution of issues.
The pensioners requested immediate cashless medical treatment by deducting 1% from basic pensions through the EHS and addressed the issue of commutation amount recovery periods, suggesting a reduction to at least 12 years. They also appealed for the release of four installments of Dearness Relief and requested payment of dues in one lump sum.
The association urged the district collector to take prompt action on these matters to ease the financial burden on pensioners and ensure timely healthcare support.
