For faster payment of cashless treatment, healthcare units can now submit bills online

Kolkata: In a bid to process the payment of cashless treatment costs faster for all those empanelled under the health scheme, the state government has introduced online grant of permission and submission of bills and documents by the empanelled Health Care Organisations (HCOs) in the West Bengal Health Portal.

The state Finance department has come out with a notification stating that seeking permission by HCOs, grant of permission by medical cell, preparation of day-wise bills and submission of final bills by HCOs has been made online.

It may be mentioned that the West Bengal Health for All Employees and Pensioners Scheme was introduced in August 2014.

According to a senior official of the state Finance department, presently the permission is sought and responded between the empanelled HCOs and medical cell of the Finance department through dedicated emails.

For reimbursement of cashless claims up to Rs 1 lakh, these HCOs are required to enter few basic details of the bills in the West Bengal Health Portal and then submit physical copies of the bills along with other relevant documents to the medical cell of the Finance department.

The cell scrutinises the bills and supporting documents for the payment.

If the claim is found satisfactory, payment up to Rs 1 lakh is released to HCO's by Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) of the Finance department's medical cell.

"Now with the entire process going online, we are hopeful of faster disbursement of medical claims," an official said.