Swasthya Sathi Scheme West Bengal: ₹5 Lakh Cashless Health Cover

Swasthya Sathi is a health assurance scheme launched by the Government of West Bengal on 30 December 2016 and run by the Health & Family Welfare Department. It was designed to protect families from the high cost of hospital treatment by offering fully cashless and paperless care at empanelled hospitals. Since December 2020 the scheme has been universal, meaning every resident family of West Bengal that is not already covered by another government health insurance scheme can be enrolled. The entire cost is borne by the state, so beneficiaries never pay a premium or enrolment fee.

A distinctive feature of Swasthya Sathi is that the family smart card is issued in the name of the woman head of the family, reinforcing the state's focus on women-led households. The scheme places no cap on family size, sets no age limit, and covers pre-existing conditions from the start. Around 2.45 crore families are covered, making it one of the largest state-funded health protection programmes in India. Treatment is delivered through a network of empanelled public and private hospitals where the card holder receives secondary and tertiary care without paying cash upfront.

For many households an unexpected hospital bill is one of the biggest causes of debt. By covering pre-existing conditions from the start and setting no age limit, Swasthya Sathi is aimed squarely at protecting families through illnesses that private insurance often excludes or prices out of reach. The card can be used across a wide network of empanelled public and private hospitals, and the list of participating hospitals is published on the official portal and the mobile app so families can plan where to seek care. Because the state bears the full cost, there is no waiting period tied to premium payment and no annual renewal fee for the beneficiary.

The scheme is built around removing the financial shock of hospitalisation. Because the cover extends to both secondary and tertiary care, families can access treatment ranging from routine surgeries to complex specialist procedures without arranging cash in advance. The benefits below apply to every member listed on the family smart card, and there is no separate sub-limit for individual members within the annual family cover.

Swasthya Sathi was made universal in December 2020, so the eligibility rules are deliberately broad and do not turn on income category. The main test is that you are a resident of West Bengal and are not already covered by another government-funded health insurance scheme. The points below summarise who can enrol and what the state expects of a beneficiary family.

Enrolment is designed to be simple, and most details are captured on the spot at the camp rather than submitted in advance. Keeping the following information ready helps the enrolment officer create your family smart card quickly and accurately, and reduces the chance of a mismatch that could hold up treatment later.

There is no lengthy online form to complete in advance. Enrolment happens in person at a camp or designated centre, where your family details and biometrics are recorded and the smart card is issued the same day. Duare Sarkar camps are held periodically across the state, so it is worth checking the schedule for your area. Follow these steps to enrol.

A few avoidable errors can delay treatment or cause care to be refused at the hospital counter. Because Swasthya Sathi works only within its empanelled network and relies on the family smart card, keeping the following points in mind helps ensure the cover works smoothly when your family needs it most.

Swasthya Sathi was launched on 30 December 2016 and became universal in December 2020. The scheme is currently active and covers around 2.45 crore families across West Bengal. There is no fixed application deadline — enrolment continues through Duare Sarkar camps and designated centres. Always confirm the latest hospital list and enrolment schedule on the official portal.

স্বাস্থ্য সাথী পশ্চিমবঙ্গ সরকারের সম্পূর্ণ রাজ্য-অর্থায়িত স্বাস্থ্য প্রকল্প। এতে প্রতিটি পরিবার প্রতি বছর ৫ লক্ষ টাকা পর্যন্ত নগদহীন (ক্যাশলেস) হাসপাতাল চিকিৎসার সুবিধা পায়। পরিবারের সদস্য সংখ্যা বা বয়সের কোনো সীমা নেই এবং কোনো প্রিমিয়াম দিতে হয় না। স্মার্ট কার্ডটি পরিবারের মহিলা প্রধানের নামে ইস্যু করা হয়।

Official portal: swasthyasathi.gov.in. Check enrolment status, download the mobile app, and view the list of empanelled hospitals on the official portal. For grievances, contact the Health & Family Welfare Department, Government of West Bengal, or approach the nearest Duare Sarkar camp. Always verify current details on the official portal before enrolling.