VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh health department has reduced the time taken to clear medical reimbursement claims of government employees, pensioners and eligible family members from over a year to one month by appointing additional doctors and introducing other measures.
A.A.L. Padmavathi, chief executive officer of the NTR Vaidya Seva Trust, said the measures had reduced the backlog and improved the efficiency of claim processing. Earlier, reimbursement claims took more than 12 months to clear, with some cases taking up to 18 months.
Special measures introduced in November 2025 have helped expedite the process. So far, 41,276 pending claims received through online and offline channels have been cleared. Of these, around 22,600 bills, worth Rs 152.95 crore, were examined from April this financial year until recently.
The trust currently has around 1,500 bills under examination and receives more than 4,000 reimbursement claims every month. Officials are working to examine claims received through both channels within a month. Applicants receive WhatsApp updates at different stages of scrutiny, allowing them to track the status of their claims.
The medical reimbursement scrutiny facility has been extended to 28 government organisations, universities, autonomous institutions, associations and boards. These include the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC), AP Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation (APMSIDC), Dairy Development Corporation, AP Fisheries Corporation and Andhra Pradesh Sports Authority.
The universities covered include Andhra University, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University, Sri Venkateswara University and Dr NTR University of Health Sciences. Agricultural marketing bodies, the Andhra Pradesh State Waqf Board and other autonomous institutions have also been brought under the system.
A dedicated online mechanism is being developed to simplify the submission, scrutiny and settlement of reimbursement claims. Discussions are under way with the concerned government departments to implement the system and minimise delays.
The government is releasing funds to network hospitals to ensure uninterrupted medical services for employees, pensioners and their families under the Employees Health Scheme (EHS).
The trust transferred Rs 40 crore to EHS hospitals in October, with another Rs 50 crore scheduled for release shortly. Steps are being taken to clear outstanding dues in the coming months and ensure timely monthly payments to hospitals.
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