State Government Health Scheme (Golden Card), Uttarakhand

What is the State Government Health Scheme (Golden Card)?

The State Government Health Scheme (SGHS), widely known as the "Golden Card" scheme, is a contributory cashless health scheme of the Government of Uttarakhand, implemented by the State Health Authority (SHA) under the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare. It gives Uttarakhand state government employees, pensioners and their dependants the ability to get cashless treatment at empanelled hospitals. According to state reporting, more than four lakh employees and pensioners are covered under the scheme, which has been operational since 1 January 2021.

The scheme works on a simple principle. Every covered employee and pensioner pays a small monthly contribution, deducted from salary or pension, into a common pool. In return, when they or a dependant need hospital treatment for a condition in the scheme's package, they present their Golden Card at an empanelled hospital and receive treatment without paying at the counter, the bill is settled directly between the hospital and the State Health Authority. This removes the old system of paying up front and then chasing reimbursement.

The State Health Authority, Uttarakhand is the same body that runs the centrally-supported Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY and the state's Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand Yojana. The SGHS Golden Card is the strand of its work aimed specifically at government employees and pensioners, funded by their own contributions rather than by general Ayushman funding.

Who is eligible for the SGHS Golden Card?

You can apply if you are:

• A serving Uttarakhand state government employee.
• A state government pensioner (family pension holders included as per the rules).
• An employee or pensioner of a state autonomous body, corporation, authority, university or aided institution that has joined the scheme.
• A dependant (as defined by the scheme) of any of the above; added to the primary cardholder's Golden Card.

You cannot apply / are not eligible if you are:

• A person with no connection to Uttarakhand state government service or pension. The general public uses Ayushman/AAUY instead, not SGHS.
• An employee of an institution that has not been brought under the scheme.
• Seeking coverage as a dependant outside the scheme's dependant definition.

What does the Golden Card cover?

The SGHS provides cashless treatment for the illnesses and procedures listed in the scheme's package, at hospitals empanelled by the State Health Authority. The state has been expanding the package of entitlements for cardholders, including a detailed master package of hundreds of facilities, so that cardholders know what is covered. Because entitlements and the package list are set and updated by the SHA, cardholders should check the current package on the SHA portal or with the hospital's SGHS desk for a specific treatment.

How much is the monthly contribution?

The SGHS is contributory: a fixed amount is deducted every month from salary or pension, and the amount is linked to the employee's pay level; higher pay levels contribute more. State reporting at the scheme's launch described contribution slabs in the range of a few hundred rupees a month, with the highest pay level paying more than the lower ones. Because the exact slab figures are set by the state and can be revised, this guide does not lock in a single number: confirm the current contribution for your pay level with your Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) or the State Health Authority.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the Golden Card

1. Confirm your eligibility as a serving employee, pensioner, or employee of a covered institution, and gather your ID, Aadhaar, photographs and dependant documents.
2. Visit a Golden Card issuance point. A Jan Seva Kendra (Common Service Centre), a UTIITSL centre, or an identified hospital authorised to make SGHS cards.
3. Complete the KYC with your Aadhaar and employee/pensioner details, and add your dependants with their proofs.
4. Collect the Golden Card generated for you and your family; the monthly contribution is then deducted from your salary or pension.
5. Use the card at empanelled hospitals: go to the SGHS/Arogya Mitra desk, present the Golden Card, and cashless treatment is initiated for covered conditions.

The Golden Card process is open all year; there is no seasonal deadline, and eligible employees and pensioners can get their card at any time.

How to check card and claim status

Card and claim status can be checked on the State Health Authority portal at sha.uk.gov.in, which has cardholder and claim-status sections, or by contacting the SHA. At the hospital, the SGHS/Arogya Mitra desk can verify your card, check whether a treatment is covered, and start the cashless process. Keeping your registered mobile number and Aadhaar linked to the card helps with verification.

Common problems and how to fix them

• Card not made or KYC failed — usually an Aadhaar mismatch; correct the details and redo KYC at the issuance point.
• Dependant not added: bring the correct relationship proof and update the card.
• Contribution not deducted / lapsed; check with your DDO or the pension office so the monthly deduction runs and the card stays active.
• Treatment shown as not covered; confirm the package for that procedure with the hospital SGHS desk or SHA before assuming it is excluded.
• Hospital not empanelled; use the empanelled-hospital list on sha.uk.gov.in; cashless treatment works only at empanelled hospitals.

How the Golden Card compares with Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand Yojana

A frequent confusion among Uttarakhand families is between the SGHS Golden Card and the Ayushman (Golden) card under Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand Yojana (AAUY), because both are run by the same State Health Authority and both are sometimes called a "golden card". They are not the same, and mixing them up can cost a beneficiary time at the hospital counter.

SGHS is a contributory scheme only for state government employees and pensioners and their dependants; the beneficiary pays a monthly contribution, and the entitlement is treatment under the SGHS package at empanelled hospitals. AAUY is the state's version of Ayushman Bharat, open to residents of Uttarakhand as families, providing cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for cashless hospitalisation, without a monthly salary/pension contribution of the SGHS kind. A government employee generally uses the SGHS Golden Card for their entitlement, while the general public relies on AAUY. Both are administered by the State Health Authority through sha.uk.gov.in, which is why the two schemes share a portal and a helpline even though the cards, the funding and the eligibility are distinct. When in doubt, tell the hospital's Arogya Mitra desk clearly which card you hold so the correct scheme is applied to your treatment.

Help and grievance redressal

Grievances about the Golden Card, contribution or a denied cashless treatment can be raised with the State Health Authority, Uttarakhand through the sha.uk.gov.in portal, and the state health helpline 155368 can direct beneficiaries to the right desk. Serving employees should also involve their DDO, and pensioners the pension office, for contribution and card issues. Readers who search for this by "Uttarakhand golden card" or "SGHS golden card" are looking at the same scheme described here, and should note it is distinct from the Ayushman/Atal Ayushman card, even though both are run by the same State Health Authority.