WBHS Enrolment Certificate for Retiring Employees: The Government of West Bengal has issued a new memorandum regarding the issuance of Enrolment Certificates under the West Bengal Health Scheme (WBHS) for state government employees retiring from service. The order has been released by the Medical Cell of the Finance Department to ensure uninterrupted health coverage for employees after retirement.
West Bengal Government Issues New Order for WBHS Enrolment Certificate for Retiring Employees
Overview of the New Order
According to the memorandum dated March 10, 2026, the state government has introduced a new procedure for issuing WBHS enrolment certificates to retiring employees. The decision has been taken to remove delays that often occur in issuing fresh enrolment certificates after retirement.
Previously, government employees who were enrolled in the WBHS during their service were required to obtain a fresh enrolment certificate as pensioners after retirement. In many cases, delays in issuing the new certificate created a gap between the retirement date and the issuance of the certificate. During this period, pensioners and their beneficiaries sometimes faced difficulty accessing healthcare benefits under the scheme.
Certificate to Be Issued on the Date of Retirement
To address this issue, the government has now directed that the Pension Sanctioning Authority (PSA) must issue the WBHS enrolment certificate on the very date of superannuation of the employee.
This step aims to ensure that the retiring employee continues to receive medical coverage under the West Bengal Health Scheme without any interruption. Unless the employee chooses to opt out of the scheme, the enrolment certificate will be issued automatically at the time of retirement.
Processing to Begin Before Retirement
To streamline the process, all Pension Sanctioning Authorities have been instructed to initiate the enrolment process about one month before the date of superannuation. The process will be based on the option exercised by the employee while submitting the pension application.
The government has also indicated that necessary modifications are being carried out in the WBHS portal to facilitate this updated process and ensure the timely issuance of enrolment certificates.
Benefit for Retiring Government Employees
This new directive is expected to significantly benefit state government employees by ensuring seamless access to healthcare services after retirement. By eliminating the administrative delay in issuing enrolment certificates, pensioners and their families will be able to continue availing the benefits of the WBHS immediately after superannuation.
The memorandum clearly states that the order will come into effect immediately. The notification has been issued by K. K. Anwar, IAS, Secretary to the Government of West Bengal, by order of the Governor.
Conclusion
The latest move by the West Bengal government reflects an effort to strengthen the implementation of the West Bengal Health Scheme and provide better support to retired government employees. With the new rule ensuring that enrolment certificates are issued on the retirement date itself, pensioners will no longer face gaps in their medical coverage under the scheme.
FAQ: WBHS Enrolment Certificate for Retiring Government Employees
1. What is the new order issued by the West Bengal government?
The West Bengal government has directed that the WBHS Enrolment Certificate must be issued to retiring state government employees on the date of their retirement (superannuation) to ensure uninterrupted health scheme benefits.
2. What is the West Bengal Health Scheme (WBHS)?
The West Bengal Health Scheme (WBHS) is a medical benefit scheme for state government employees, pensioners, and their eligible family members. It provides cashless and reimbursement-based medical treatment at empanelled hospitals.
3. Why was this new instruction introduced?
Earlier, there were delays in issuing fresh enrolment certificates after retirement. This sometimes created a gap in medical coverage for pensioners and their families. The new order aims to remove this delay.
4. Who will issue the WBHS enrolment certificate?
The certificate will be issued by the Pension Sanctioning Authority (PSA) responsible for processing the employee’s pension documents.
5. When will the certificate be issued?
As per the new directive, the certificate will be issued on the same day the employee retires, ensuring there is no break in WBHS coverage.
6. When will the enrolment process begin?
The process will begin about one month before the retirement date, based on the option provided by the employee during the pension application process.
7. Is the WBHS enrolment mandatory for retiring employees?
No. Employees can choose to opt out of the WBHS. If they do not opt out, the enrolment certificate will be issued automatically on the retirement date.
8. Will the WBHS portal be updated for this process?
Yes. The government has announced that necessary modifications are being made to the WBHS portal to support the new procedure.
9. When does this new rule come into effect?
The memorandum states that the order takes effect immediately from March 10, 2026.
10. Who issued the memorandum?
The memorandum was issued by K. K. Anwar, IAS, Secretary to the Government of West Bengal, by order of the Governor.
