Swasthya Sathi Card: Apply Online, Check Status, Download

📈Scale, Coverage and Settlement Record

Over 2.4 crore families across West Bengal are enrolled, covering an estimated 8 to 10 crore people. More than 76 lakh hospitalizations have taken place under the scheme since launch, and the settlement rate for claims filed stands at 98.26 percent as of mid-2024.

The scheme covers all secondary and tertiary care treatments, including surgeries, ICU admission, oncology, cardiac procedures, orthopaedics, dialysis, and other specialist treatments. Doctor consultations and diagnostic tests for one day before hospital admission and medicines for up to five days after discharge are also included.

Cancer treatment is one of the most impactful areas of coverage under Swasthya Sathi. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and targeted therapy for cancer are covered within the Rs 5 lakh annual limit at empanelled oncology centres across West Bengal.

📋Swasthya Sathi Scheme: Coverage Details

🛡️Pre-existing Diseases and Family Cover

All pre-existing diseases are covered from the very first day of enrolment. There is no waiting period and no exclusion of conditions that existed before the family joined the scheme.

The Swasthya Sathi scheme imposes no cap on family size, meaning all members of a household can use the Rs 5 lakh annual cover. Parents of both spouses are included as dependents, and physically challenged family members are also covered without any additional condition.

Neonatal and pediatric care is also included, covering premature births, neonatal ICU, treatment of congenital conditions, and childhood surgeries at empanelled children's hospitals and paediatric units. This removes one of the most financially crushing medical burdens faced by young families.

💳The Lady-Centric Smart Card

The scheme is lady-centric: the smart health card is issued in the name of the woman of the household. She is the primary cardholder and her family members are linked to her card, reinforcing the scheme's goal of giving women ownership of the family's health security.

The Swasthya Sathi Smart Card is a biometric-enabled chip card that captures the photographs, fingerprints, address, mobile number, SECC (Socio-Economic Caste Census) ID and bank details of each enrolled family. The card is generated on the same day as enrolment at the camp or portal, with no waiting for a physical card from a distant office.

District-level monitoring of the Swasthya Sathi scheme is handled by the District Chief Medical Officer in coordination with the District Magistrate. Regular review meetings are held at the district level to check hospital empanelment status, beneficiary complaint pendency and claim settlement timelines across all blocks in the district.

📝How Enrolment Works

Enrolment was historically done through special Swasthya Sathi camps organized in every block and ward. After 2020, enrolment was integrated into the Duare Sarkar (government at your doorstep) programme, where residents can complete registration at camps organized near their homes or at designated government offices.

Online application for the Swasthya Sathi card is available at accounts.swasthyasathi.gov.in. Applicants select Form A (new registration), Form B (member addition), Form C (card re-issue) or Form D (beneficiary updates) depending on what they need, fill in the details, upload documents and submit for processing.

The Swasthya Sathi portal also maintains a public-facing dashboard showing scheme statistics such as total families covered, hospitalizations by district, and claim settlement rates. Citizens can visit swasthyasathi.gov.in to view state-level and district-level data on scheme performance, which ensures transparency in how public health funds are being used.

🌾Coverage in Rural and Remote Districts

The Swasthya Sathi mobile app for Android allows beneficiaries to download their card, search for empanelled hospitals near them, check the list of procedures covered and lodge grievances, all from their phone. The app is available free on the Google Play Store.

The hospital network under Swasthya Sathi covers more than 2,400 public and private hospitals empanelled across West Bengal. Hospitals are graded online based on infrastructure and services, and empanelment is monitored on a continuous basis to ensure quality standards.

📄Documents and Verification

Documents needed for registration include Aadhaar card, voter ID, a recent passport-size photograph, and proof of residence in West Bengal such as ration card or utility bill. Applicants who have an SECC or BPL card are automatically eligible, but the scheme now covers all families residing in WB regardless of income level.

After submission of the online or camp application, the registering authority enters the family details into the Swasthya Sathi system. An OTP is sent to the registered mobile number for verification, and the digital Swasthya Sathi card is generated and sent to the applicant's phone as a download link.

🔎Downloading and Verifying the Card

Application status can be checked at any time on data.swasthyasathi.gov.in/SSDataEntryStatusCheck.aspx by entering the district and Aadhaar number. The system shows whether the application is pending data entry, under verification, approved or card-issued.

Once the card is ready, it can be downloaded as a PDF from the Swasthya Sathi portal by logging in with the registered mobile number. The downloaded card carries a QR code that empanelled hospitals scan to instantly verify the beneficiary's coverage and remaining annual limit.

🏥Using the Card at a Hospital

To use the Swasthya Sathi card at a hospital, the beneficiary walks to the Swasthya Sathi desk or reception counter and presents the smart card. The hospital staff scan the card, match the biometric (fingerprint) of the primary cardholder or a declared family member, and confirm the available annual coverage.

For planned (elective) procedures, the hospital must obtain pre-authorization from the insurer before the patient is admitted. The pre-authorization is processed entirely online and the turnaround time is 24 hours, meaning most planned admissions are approved within one day.

⏱️Emergencies, Records and Claim Payment

For emergency admissions, the hospital can admit the patient immediately and apply for pre-authorization within 24 hours of admission. No treatment is delayed on account of the pre-authorization process in genuine emergency situations.

Claim payment to the hospital is made within 30 days of claim submission with complete documents. If the insurer or trust delays payment beyond 30 days, interest is charged on the outstanding amount as a penalty, creating a strong incentive for timely settlement.

Amar babar open heart surgery hoye giyechilo Kolkatar ek baro hospital-e. Swasthya Sathi card dekhiye admit koralo, operation koralo, discharge koralo. Ek taka nite parlo na amader kaach theke. Ei card ta jano bhagaban.

📞Alerts, Helpline and Grievances

SMS alerts are sent to the beneficiary's registered mobile number at every key stage: when the card is generated, when a hospital admission is pre-authorized, and when the claim is settled. This transparency mechanism helps detect fraud and keeps the family informed about their coverage use.

The 24x7 toll-free helpline at 18003455384 handles calls in Bengali and English for registration queries, hospital location, complaint escalation and card-related issues. An online grievance monitoring system is also available on the portal for written complaints.

🏛️Why WB Built Its Own Scheme

Swasthya Sathi was West Bengal's alternative to the Centre's Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY scheme after the TMC government under Mamata Banerjee declined to implement the central programme. WB families who earlier held RSBY (Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana) smart cards were migrated to Swasthya Sathi, giving them higher coverage of Rs 5 lakh versus the earlier Rs 30,000.

Family members registered under a West Bengal family's Swasthya Sathi card cannot use it for treatment at hospitals outside the state, since the scheme is state-bound and has no national portability. This limitation was a key reason the new WB government chose to adopt Ayushman Bharat in 2026, which gives beneficiaries cashless access at empanelled hospitals across every state in India.

🔄The Transition Timeline

The transition from Swasthya Sathi to Ayushman Bharat is expected to be phased, with new Ayushman Bharat health cards starting to reach beneficiaries from July 2026. During the transition period, existing Swasthya Sathi cardholders can continue using their cards at empanelled hospitals without interruption.

The coverage amount under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY is the same Rs 5 lakh per family per year as Swasthya Sathi, but Ayushman Bharat provides national portability, meaning WB families can get cashless treatment at empanelled hospitals across India and not just within West Bengal.

✅What Cardholders Should Do Now

Families who have not yet enrolled in any health scheme should apply through the Swasthya Sathi online portal or at government camps until the Ayushman Bharat rollout in WB is complete. Enrolment in Swasthya Sathi during the transition will help ensure smooth migration to the new scheme.

Residents who have not yet enrolled in any scheme should enrol in Swasthya Sathi now and not wait for Ayushman Bharat cards, since the transition timeline may extend. A Swasthya Sathi card provides immediate protection and is accepted at over 2,400 hospitals across West Bengal during the current period.

📑Swasthya Sathi Quick Reference

❓Frequently Asked Questions