Rajasthan’s Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana stands as one of the most ambitious attempts by any Indian state government to operationalize universal health coverage at scale — providing comprehensive health insurance to every family in Rajasthan regardless of their economic status, employment category, or prior insurance enrollment. Launched on May 1, 2021 by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s Congress government, the Chiranjeevi scheme extends cashless inpatient treatment coverage of up to ₹25 lakh per family per year through a network of empanelled government and private hospitals — setting a coverage ceiling that, at the time of launch, was the highest of any state government health insurance scheme in India and represented a commitment to protecting families from the catastrophic out-of-pocket medical expenditure that drives millions of Indian households into poverty each year.
The scheme’s universal design philosophy distinguishes it fundamentally from income-targeted health insurance programs like the central government’s Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY scheme, which covers only those families identified as belonging to the poorest 40 percent of the population. Chiranjeevi covers every Rajasthan family — the poorest, the middle class, and those above the PM-JAY income threshold — by providing free enrollment to economically weaker sections while offering affordable premium-based enrollment to families above the poverty line. This universal coverage architecture ensures that no Rajasthan family faces the risk of catastrophic medical expenditure simply because their income was marginally above a means-test threshold.
Understanding the complete framework of Chiranjeevi — its coverage structure, eligibility categories, impanelled hospital network, the enrollment process, how to access cashless treatment during hospitalization, and how to claim reimbursement when cashless services are unavailable — is essential knowledge for every Rajasthan resident whose family’s health security depends on this state-funded insurance guarantee.
Coverage Structure: What the Chiranjeevi Scheme Pays For
The ₹25 lakh annual coverage ceiling encompasses a comprehensive package of inpatient medical services delivered through impanelled hospitals without any upfront payment from the beneficiary at the point of care.
| Coverage Category | Services Included | Coverage Limit | Pre-Authorisation Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Within the annual ceiling | All inpatient treatment requiring minimum 24-hour admission | Up to ₹25 lakh annually | Yes — from hospital Chiranjeevi desk |
| Surgical Procedures | All listed surgical procedures across specialties | Within the annual ceiling | Yes — pre-surgery authorisation |
| Day Care Procedures | Chemotherapy, dialysis, cataract — less than 24 hours | Within the annual ceiling | Yes — per procedure |
| Intensive Care Unit Treatment | ICU admission and monitoring | Within the annual ceiling | Yes — on admission |
| Maternity and Newborn Care | Normal delivery; C-section; newborn care up to 90 days | Specific maternity packages | Yes — on admission |
| Cancer Treatment | Chemotherapy, radiation, and cancer surgery | Within the annual ceiling | Yes — oncology pre-approval |
| Organ Transplant | Kidney and liver transplant where empanelled | Special high-value package | Yes — organ transplant committee |
| Accident and Emergency | Emergency inpatient care following accidents | Within the annual ceiling | Retrospective authorization within 24 hours |
| COVID and Pandemic Treatment | Hospitalization for notified infectious diseases | Within the annual ceiling | As per current notifications |
| Mental Health Inpatient | Inpatient psychiatric treatment at impanelled facilities | Within the annual ceiling | Yes — mental health pre-authorization |
Eligibility Categories and Premium Structure
The Chiranjeevi scheme’s universal design is operationalized through a tiered eligibility and premium structure that provides free coverage to economically vulnerable categories while extending optional coverage to all other Rajasthan families at a subsidized premium.
| Beneficiary Category | Premium Requirement | Enrollment Method | Income Verification |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFSA ration card holders — BPL | Free — no premium | Automatic — ration card linked | Not required — NFSA status sufficient |
| Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) identified families | Free — no premium | Automatic — SECC database linked | Not required |
| Small and marginal farmers (up to 2 hectares) | Free — no premium | Automatic — land records linked | Agriculture land records |
| Contractual workers — state and central government | Free — no premium | Department enrollment | Employment verification |
| COVID ex-gratia recipient families | Free — no premium | Automatic — COVID relief database | Not required |
| Above poverty line (APL) families — not in the free category | ₹850 per family per year | Online or camp enrollment | Self-declaration |
| State government employees | Covered through a separate scheme | Department coordination | Employment records |
Benefits That Distinguish Chiranjeevi from PM-JAY
While PM-JAY provides ₹5 lakh coverage to the bottom 40 percent of Indian families, the Chiranjeevi scheme provides ₹25 lakh coverage to all Rajasthan families — a five-times higher ceiling that addresses the catastrophic cost scenarios that PM-JAY’s coverage ceiling fails to handle.
| Feature | Chiranjeevi Scheme | PM-JAY Ayushman Bharat |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage Ceiling | ₹25 lakh per family per year | ₹5 lakh per family per year |
| Eligible Population | All Rajasthan families | Bottom 40% of India |
| Premium for APL families | ₹850 per year | Not applicable — no APL coverage |
| State-specific Hospital Packages | Yes — Rajasthan-specific rates | Standard central packages |
| OPD Coverage | Limited — primarily inpatient | Primarily inpatient |
| Empanelled Hospitals in Rajasthan | Government + private — wider network | Empanelled network |
| Mental Health Coverage | Yes — inpatient | Limited |
| Coordination With PM-JAY | Integrated — Chiranjeevi top-up for PM-JAY families | Base scheme |
Enrollment Process for APL Families Paying ₹850 Premium
Families in the APL category who choose to enroll in Chiranjeevi by paying the ₹850 annual premium must complete an active enrollment process, as they are not automatically enrolled through database cross-referencing like the free-category families.
Step-by-Step APL Enrollment:
- Visit the official Chiranjeevi scheme portal at chiranjeevi.rajasthan.gov.in or the Jan Aadhaar portal
- Log in using Jan Aadhaar card number — Rajasthan’s state family identity system, analogous to Samgra in MP
- Navigate to the Chiranjeevi enrollment section
- Verify family details pre-populated from the Jan Aadhaar database
- Confirm family members to be covered under the policy
- Proceed to premium payment — ₹850 per family for full year’s coverage
- Pay through UPI, net banking, debit card, or credit card
- Download the enrollment confirmation and policy document
- The Jan Aadhaar card serves as the cashless treatment access document at impanelled hospitals
For families without internet access, enrollment is available at Rajasthan’s E-Mitra kiosks — the state’s widespread citizen service network — where operators process the enrollment and premium payment on behalf of the applicant.
Jan Aadhaar Card: The Key to Accessing Chiranjeevi Benefits
The Jan Aadhaar card is the operational gateway to Chiranjeevi cashless treatment — serving the same role for Rajasthan’s health insurance that the Aadhaar card serves for central government welfare schemes. Every Rajasthan family has been issued a Jan Aadhaar card — a family identity card that records all family members and links to all state government welfare schemes, including Chiranjeevi.
At the hospital, the Jan Aadhaar card number is the primary document used to verify Chiranjeevi’s eligibility, confirm coverage status, and initiate the pre-authorization process for cashless treatment. Families who do not carry their physical Jan Aadhaar card can present their Jan Aadhaar number from memory or from the Jan Aadhaar app on their smartphone.
How to Access Cashless Treatment at Impanelled Hospitals
| Step | Action | Responsibility | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | Pre-authorization request submitted to insurer | Patient/family | On admission |
| Step 2 | Locate the Chiranjeevi or Ayushman helpdesk at the hospital | Patient/family | On arrival |
| Step 3 | Present your Jan Aadhaar card or number | Patient/family | At helpdesk |
| Step 4 | Hospital verifies coverage and family eligibility online | Hospital Chiranjeevi operator | Within 30 minutes |
| Step 5 | Pre-authorization request submitted to insurer | Hospital | Within 2 to 4 hours |
| Step 6 | Insurer approves pre-authorisation | Insurer — RSBY or New India Assurance | Within 4 to 12 hours |
| Step 7 | Patient admitted — cashless treatment commences | Hospital | Post-authorisation |
| Step 8 | Discharge processed — hospital claims directly from insurer | Hospital | On discharge |
| Step 9 | No payment is required from the patient | Patient | Zero cost at the point of care |
Impanelled Hospital Network and How to Find a Hospital
The Chiranjeevi scheme has impanelled both government hospitals — all district hospitals, government medical colleges, and CHCs across Rajasthan — and private hospitals that have signed agreements with the state government for specified treatment packages at government-approved rates.
| Hospital Category | Empanelment Status | How to Locate | Treatment Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government Medical Colleges | All impanelled — automatic | Available throughout Rajasthan | All package treatments |
| District Hospitals | All empanelled | Available in all 33 districts | Standard and specialist packages |
| Community Health Centres | Empanelled for basic procedures | Block level throughout Rajasthan | Basic surgery and maternity |
| Private Corporate Hospitals | Selectively empanelled | Check the Chiranjeevi portal’s hospital locator | Package-specific treatment |
| Private Nursing Homes | Selectively empanelled | Portal hospital locator | Listed packages only |
Workers can search for the nearest impanelled hospital using the Chiranjeevi portal’s hospital locator tool — entering their district and required specialty to identify all eligible facilities within an accessible distance.
Grievance Redressal and Claim Disputes
When a cashless claim is denied by the hospital or insurer, the beneficiary has a structured escalation pathway that prevents the denial from converting into an out-of-pocket payment burden.
At the first level, the beneficiary contacts the hospital’s Chiranjeevi helpdesk to understand the reason for pre-authorisation denial. If the denial is based on eligibility verification failure, the helpdesk can initiate a manual verification process with the Jan Aadhaar database to resolve discrepancies on the spot. If the denial is based on treatment package limitation — the specific treatment not being in the empanelled package list — the beneficiary can request a review by the district Chiranjeevi coordinator.
At the escalation level, the Rajasthan government’s Chiranjeevi grievance portal accepts formal complaints with the pre-authorisation reference number, enabling district-level review of denied claims. The state Chiranjeevi helpline at 181 also receives and processes claim dispute registrations during business hours, with callback commitments for resolution within 3 to 7 working days for straightforward eligibility disputes.
The Chiranjeevi scheme has demonstrated that universal health coverage — providing every family with protection against the financial catastrophe of serious illness — is achievable at the state government level through a combination of automatic enrollment for vulnerable categories, affordable premium access for middle-income families, and a sufficiently high coverage ceiling that addresses the medical cost scenarios that genuinely threaten household financial stability rather than merely providing symbolic coverage that runs out before a serious illness is treated.
