How much is the CGHS contribution?

₹250 a month for Levels 1 to 5, ₹450 for Level 6, ₹650 for Levels 7 to 11 and ₹1,000 for Level 12 and above, as revised from 1 January 2017.

What ward am I entitled to under CGHS?

It depends on basic pay: general ward up to ₹47,600, semi-private from ₹47,601 to ₹63,100 and private ward above ₹63,100, as per the thresholds set in 2017.

How do pensioners get a lifetime CGHS card?

By paying ten years' contribution at once, at the rate for the pay level they retired from.

What is the fixed medical allowance for pensioners?

₹1,000 a month, paid with pension to pensioners who live outside CGHS cities or opt out of CGHS outpatient care.

CGHS explained: contribution, wards and pensioner cards

Updated 11 October 2026

The Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) provides medical care to central government employees, pensioners and their dependent family members in the cities it covers. Members pay a fixed monthly contribution of ₹250 to ₹1,000 depending on their pay level, and in return get consultations and medicines at CGHS wellness centres and treatment at government and empanelled private hospitals.

Monthly contribution by pay level

These rates apply from 1 January 2017, after the 7th CPC:

7th CPC pay level	Contribution per month	Per year
Level 1 to 5	₹250	₹3,000
Level 6	₹450	₹5,400
Level 7 to 11	₹650	₹7,800
Level 12 and above	₹1,000	₹12,000

For serving employees the contribution is deducted from salary every month, and it appears as a separate line on the payslip. See salary slip components.

Ward entitlement in private hospitals

When a member is admitted to an empanelled private hospital, the type of ward they are entitled to depends on basic pay, not on the level itself. The thresholds set in 2017 are:

Basic pay per month	Ward
Up to ₹47,600	General ward
₹47,601 to ₹63,100	Semi-private ward
₹63,101 and above	Private ward

So a Level 7 employee at the entry pay of ₹44,900 is entitled to a general ward, but moves to a semi-private ward once basic pay crosses ₹47,600 after increments. Check the latest CGHS orders on cghs.gov.in before admission, as the hospital bills by entitlement.

Who can join

Serving employees of the central government who live in a CGHS city are covered, and the contribution is compulsory for them. Some services and departments run their own health schemes instead.
Family members: spouse, dependent children within the age and income rules, and dependent parents whose income is within the limit.
Pensioners and family pensioners can join in any CGHS city, paying the contribution of the level they retired from.

CGHS for pensioners

Pensioners can pay the contribution every year, or pay ten years' contribution at once for a lifetime CGHS card.
Pensioners who live outside CGHS cities, or who choose not to use CGHS for outpatient care, can draw a Fixed Medical Allowance (FMA) of ₹1,000 a month with their pension instead.
A pensioner drawing FMA can still use CGHS facilities for hospital treatment if they hold a CGHS card for that purpose; check the current rules, as the options for combining FMA and CGHS are specific.

Worked example. A Level 7 employee pays ₹650 a month, which is ₹650 × 12 = ₹7,800 a year. An officer retiring from Level 12 who wants a lifetime pensioner card pays ten years' contribution at ₹1,000 a month: ₹1,000 × 12 × 10 = ₹1,20,000, once. If instead they lived outside a CGHS city and took FMA, they would receive ₹1,000 × 12 = ₹12,000 a year with their pension but would not get CGHS outpatient care.

Getting and using a CGHS card

Serving employees apply through their office, which forwards the application with the details of dependent family members. Each beneficiary gets a card with a beneficiary ID.
Pensioners apply to CGHS in their city with a copy of the Pension Payment Order or a last pay certificate, proof of residence, photographs, dependants' documents and proof of payment of the contribution. Applications can be made through the CGHS website.
Registering with a wellness centre: each card is attached to a wellness centre near your home. You can ask for a transfer if you move within the city or to another CGHS city.
Contribution after promotion: the monthly amount changes when your pay level crosses into a new band, for example from Level 6 to Level 7, and your ward entitlement changes when basic pay crosses a threshold.

What CGHS covers

Outpatient consultations and medicines at CGHS wellness centres, including AYUSH systems at many centres.
Referral to specialists at government hospitals and empanelled private hospitals and diagnostic centres.
Hospital treatment at CGHS package rates in empanelled hospitals, in the ward you are entitled to.
Reimbursement of approved costs in emergencies at non-empanelled hospitals, subject to CGHS rates.

Tax benefit

Your CGHS contribution qualifies for the section 80D health insurance deduction in the old tax regime (section 126 of the Income-tax Act, 2025), within the limit of ₹25,000 a year for yourself and family, or ₹50,000 if you are a senior citizen. There is no such deduction in the new regime. See section 80D.