The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has announced a major revision to the rates under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), effective October 13, 2025. The updated rates will apply to all treatments at CGHS-empanelled hospitals and healthcare organisations, as well as to reimbursement claims filed by serving and retired central government employees and other eligible beneficiaries. The new structure also extends to cashless treatment for pensioners and select categories as per existing rules.
The revision aims to rationalise healthcare costs under CGHS through a structured framework that factors in hospital accreditation, city classification, and ward entitlement. As per the new policy, non-accredited hospitals (those without NABH/NABL certification) will receive 15% lower rates than accredited ones, while super-specialty hospitals will be eligible for 15% higher rates for corresponding procedures.
Further, the rates will vary by city category hospitals in Tier-II and Tier-III cities will get 10% and 20% lower rates, respectively, compared to those in Tier-I cities. The revised package rates are based on semi-private ward entitlement, with a 5% reduction for general wards and a 5% increase for private wards. However, rates for outpatient consultations, investigations, day-care procedures, and radiotherapy will remain uniform across all ward categories.
For cancer treatment, existing CGHS rules for surgeries will continue, but chemotherapy, investigations, and radiotherapy will follow the revised rates.
In addition to the rate changes, the ministry has introduced a key administrative reform: all current Memoranda of Agreement (MoAs) with empanelled private hospitals will become invalid from 12:00 AM on October 13, 2025. Hospitals wishing to remain empanelled under CGHS must reapply through the updated Hospital Engagement Module and submit an undertaking confirming acceptance of the new terms by the same date. Those failing to comply will face automatic de-empanelment. The new MoAs must be signed within 90 days of the revised rates taking effect.
The detailed list of revised rates is available on the official CGHS website: https://cghs.mohfw.gov.in.
Commenting on the reform, Ameera Shah, President of NATHEALTH and Executive Chairperson of Metropolis Healthcare, welcomed the government’s decision.
“NATHEALTH appreciates the revision of CGHS rates, which, along with earlier GST relief, underscores the government’s commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery and resolving long-standing challenges. CGHS serves millions of beneficiaries, and the updated rates will help improve access to quality and efficient care,” she said.
She also recommended that CGHS and other government-backed health programmes be periodically benchmarked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to ensure predictability, sustainability, and balanced value for patients, providers, and policymakers. Shah reaffirmed NATHEALTH’s commitment to collaborating with the government to advance reforms that make healthcare in India more accessible, affordable, and high-quality.
