Claim settlements for AP government staff cut to a month

Settlement time for medical reimbursement claims of Andhra Pradesh government employees and pensioners has been reduced to roughly one month, down from more than a year earlier. The change follows steps taken by the state Health, Medical and Family Welfare Department, including the appointment of doctors last year to speed up processing. A.A.L. Padmavathi, chief executive of NTR Vaidya Seva Trust, said the trust is building an online portal to let users file, check and get their claims settled more easily. Discussions with relevant departments are in progress to launch the system soon. The trust handles over 4,000 reimbursement bills each month; about 1,500 of those are under active review. Applicants receive status updates via WhatsApp, and the goal is to finish reviewing each bill within a month of receipt. So far, the trust has cleared around 41,276 pending bills, whose total value is about ₹152.95 crore. A recent government order has allowed 28 organisations – including government bodies, universities and autonomous institutes – to claim medical expense reimbursements, leading to a rise in the number of bills. To keep medical services running smoothly, the government released ₹40 crore for hospitals under the Employees Health Scheme in October, with an additional ₹50 crore slated for release shortly.

Context

The Employees Health Scheme is a state program that funds hospital care for government workers and retirees. Faster claim processing and the upcoming online portal aim to reduce delays and improve access to health benefits for a large number of staff and pensioners.