Andhra Pradesh pensioners welcome higher pension slabs, seek better EHS cover

Pensioners' associations in Andhra Pradesh have welcomed the State government's recent decision to raise pension rates for elderly beneficiaries.

Under the revised structure, pensioners aged above 70 will receive a pension at 10%, up from the earlier 7%. For those above 80, the rate has been increased to 15% from 12%, a hike of three percentage points.

P. Ramachandra Rao, president of the State Pensioners Welfare Association, and Rama Chandra Panda, president of the Vizianagaram district pensioners association, thanked Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for the revision.

Mr. Panda also pressed the government to introduce a cashless treatment scheme across all reputed hospitals. He said several hospitals have been refusing treatment under the Employees Health Scheme (EHS).

According to him, the government deducts a certain amount from pensions towards EHS benefits, but the scheme has not been implemented effectively because of changes in hospitals' policies.

He further urged the government to reimburse medical expenditure within three months, noting that many elderly persons had borrowed money to pay for operations and hospital treatment.