Swasthya Sathi (West Bengal)
স্বাস্থ্য সাথী
Quick answer
West Bengal's own cashless health cover gives an eligible family up to ₹5 lakh a year for secondary and tertiary hospital care, on a paperless smart card the state issues free. Over 2.42 crore families are covered and treatment is cashless at more than 2,800 empanelled hospitals.
Researched by Mirza Seraj BaigFacts last checked against official sources on 12 September 2026- What you get
- Cashless hospital treatment up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care, at any empanelled hospital. There is no cap on family size, parents from both spouses are covered, dependent persons with disabilities in the family are covered, and every pre-existing disease is covered from day one. The entire premium is paid by the state government — the beneficiary pays nothing, then or later.
- Who it is for
- Families resident in West Bengal who hold a Swasthya Sathi smart card, issued free on the day of enrolment through a camp or a permanent enrolment centre.
- Implemented by
- Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of West Bengal
- Coverage
- State scheme — West Bengal
- Official portal
- swasthyasathi.gov.in ↗
- Helpline
- 1800-345-5384 (toll-free, 24×7) · WhatsApp 9073313211
Who is eligible for Swasthya Sathi?
- You must be a permanent resident of West Bengal.
- You must not already be insured under another government-sponsored health insurance scheme.
- You must not be receiving a medical allowance along with your salary.
Who is not eligible for Swasthya Sathi?
These exclusions are as important as the eligibility rules — an application that falls into any of the categories below will be rejected or the benefit later recovered.
- You are already covered by a government-sponsored health insurance scheme — this scheme is not layered on top of another one.
- You draw a medical allowance with your salary, which is treated as your employer's own health cover.
Which documents are required for Swasthya Sathi?
- Aadhaar card
- An additional identity proof — voter ID, ration card or similar
- Proof that you are a permanent resident of West Bengal
- Filled Form B, the scheme's enrolment form
How do you apply for Swasthya Sathi?
Get Form B and fill it in
Form B is the scheme's enrolment form. It is available at enrolment camps and from your Block Development Officer or municipality office.
Submit it for verification
Hand in the filled form with your documents. A Nodal Officer, the BDO or the municipality verifies it before it goes onto the online portal.
Get your Unique Registration Number
Once your family's record is uploaded, a Unique Registration Number (URN) is generated for it after checking for duplicates.
Collect your smart card on the spot
The Swasthya Sathi smart card is issued free, either at the enrolment camp itself or at a permanent enrolment centre, on the day you enrol.
How do you check your Swasthya Sathi status?
Find your name in the beneficiary records
Search the official records by your details to confirm your family is enrolled.
Verify your card
Check that your smart card is active and correctly linked to your family record.
Download your e-card
You will need your Aadhaar number and the last four digits of your registered mobile number.
Why do Swasthya Sathi applications get rejected, and how do you fix them?
Most rejections and stuck payments come down to a handful of record mismatches. Find yours below.
- You are already covered by another government health insurance scheme
- This is a stated exclusion, not an error to fix — the scheme is meant to cover families with no other government health cover. If you believe you were wrongly marked as covered elsewhere, raise it through the toll-free helpline.
- You draw a medical allowance with your salary
- This, too, is a stated exclusion. A medical allowance is treated as your own employer-provided cover, so the state scheme does not duplicate it.
- The hospital says your treatment isn't covered, or asks you to pay
- Swasthya Sathi is cashless — you should not be asked to pay for a covered treatment at an empanelled hospital. If a hospital demands payment, inform the District Key Manager (DKM) or the State Nodal Agency (SNA) immediately through the toll-free number.
- You didn't hand in your smart card at the hospital within 24 hours of admission
- The card must be deposited with the hospital within 24 hours of hospitalisation. Miss that window and the cost has to be borne by the beneficiary, so hand in the card as soon as you are admitted.
- Your medicine or test wasn't available at the hospital
- Arranging it is the hospital's responsibility. If you had to buy it yourself, keep the receipts — you can claim reimbursement for it.
Important links
All of these go to the official government portal. Bookmark them — copycat sites with similar names charge for what these do free.
| What you need | Official page |
|---|---|
| Official portal | swasthyasathi.gov.in ↗ |
| Find your name Search the beneficiary records | data.swasthyasathi.gov.in/SSDataSearchLogin.aspx ↗ |
| Card verification | ssai.swasthyasathi.gov.in/OnlinePublicInfoHub/OnlineCardVerificationIndex ↗ |
| Download e-card Needs Aadhaar number and the last 4 digits of your registered mobile | ssai.swasthyasathi.gov.in/Auth/downloadecard ↗ |
| Frequently asked questions — official | swasthyasathi.gov.in/FAQ ↗ |
| Toll-free helpline 1800-345-5384, 24×7 | swasthyasathi.gov.in ↗ |
State-wise notes
- The scheme's own portal (swasthyasathi.gov.in) does not publish a detailed eligibility or exclusion list on its About page. The three conditions on this page are taken from the West Bengal Health and Family Welfare Department's district-level page for Cooch Behar, which is the clearest official statement of them we could find — confirm your own case at an enrolment camp or through the helpline.
- Transport is reimbursed toward the hospital: up to ₹200 per hospitalisation and ₹2,000 a year at private hospitals, and ₹400–₹700 per hospitalisation at government hospitals, whatever transport you actually use.
- OPD consultations are not covered unless they lead to a hospital admission. Once admission happens, related pre-hospitalisation tests and medicines are covered, and so is support for five days after discharge.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Swasthya Sathi cover?
Up to ₹5 lakh a year per family, for secondary and tertiary hospital care, cashless at any empanelled hospital. There is no cap on family size and every pre-existing disease is covered.
Who is eligible for Swasthya Sathi?
Permanent residents of West Bengal who are not already covered by another government-sponsored health insurance scheme and do not draw a medical allowance with their salary.
How do I check my Swasthya Sathi card or find my name?
Use Find Your Name to search the beneficiary records, or Card Verification to confirm your card is active. To download your e-card, you need your Aadhaar number and the last four digits of your registered mobile number.
Is Swasthya Sathi really cashless — do I pay anything at the hospital?
No. At an empanelled hospital, a covered treatment costing up to ₹5 lakh is paid straight to the hospital. You should never be asked to pay for it — if a hospital does ask, report it to the DKM or SNA through the toll-free helpline.
What documents do I need to apply for Swasthya Sathi?
Aadhaar card, an additional identity proof such as a voter ID or ration card, proof that you live in West Bengal, and a filled Form B, the scheme's enrolment form.
Does Swasthya Sathi cover pre-existing diseases?
Yes. Every pre-existing disease is covered from the day you enrol — there is no waiting period.
Is there a helpline for Swasthya Sathi?
Yes — the toll-free number is 1800-345-5384, available 24 hours a day, and there is also a WhatsApp number, 9073313211.
Does Swasthya Sathi cover OPD treatment?
Not on its own. OPD consultations are covered only if they lead to a hospital admission — once you are admitted, related pre-hospitalisation tests and medicines are covered too.
Applying from your state
Swasthya Sathi is a central scheme, so it is open in every state and union territory. Verification, and the state-issued documents you may be asked for, differ by state.