Complaints on ‘unauthorised’ deduction of 1.5% for EHS referred to Health department

Employees in the State Government are facing issues with the Employees Health Scheme (EHS) subscription deduction, with concerns raised over the unauthorised deduction of 1.5% of their basic pension. After complaints of outdated data being entered into the scheme's records, pensioners have been urged to postpone any further deductions until the scheme is fully implemented.

The Health department has been directed to take further action and intervene in the issue, as the scheme has yet to launch despite its official launch on July 17. The scheme aims to provide cashless medical and surgical treatment to employees, pensioners, and their dependents, covering 1,816 packages across 114 government hospitals and 886 empanelled private hospitals.

However, the lack of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the government and the Telangana Aarogyasri Hospitals Network Association (TANHA) has hindered the scheme's operationalization. Over nine lakh pensioners are waiting for a resolution to the issue, as delays in the health scheme's implementation could impact their ability to meet medical expenses.

Pensioners are also seeking the release of pending Dearness Allowance (DA) instalments and the recommendations of the Pay Revision Commission (PRC) to be paid, as the increase in salary/pension would aid in covering medical-related expenses.