{"id":1820,"date":"2026-11-05T11:58:12","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T11:58:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.coversure.in\/blog\/?p=1820"},"modified":"2026-11-13T11:46:41","modified_gmt":"2026-11-13T11:46:41","slug":"blog-health-insurance-swasthya-sathi-west-bengal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.coversure.in\/blog\/health-insurance\/blog-health-insurance-swasthya-sathi-west-bengal\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Swasthya Sathi?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
QUICK GIST<\/b><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Swasthya Sathi (also spelled Sastho Sathi) is West Bengal’s state health scheme, launched on 30 December 2016. It gives families basic health cover of up to \u20b95 lakh per year for secondary and tertiary care. Treatment is cashless, paperless and smart card-based at empanelled government and private hospitals. The state government pays the entire premium, so families contribute nothing. There is no cap on family size, parents of both spouses are included, and all dependent physically challenged family members are covered. All pre-existing diseases are covered too. The smart card is issued on the day of enrolment. Hospitals get online pre-authorisation within 24 hours, and beneficiaries receive SMS alerts when their card is used. Apply or check your status on the official Swasthya Sathi portal. Helpline: 1800 345 5384 (toll-free, 24×7).<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Swasthya Sathi Card: What West Bengal’s \u20b95 Lakh Health Scheme Covers, and What Your Family Should Plan Beyond It<\/b><\/h2>\n

The card that usually gets discovered in a hospital lobby<\/b><\/h3>\n

Here’s a scene that plays out more often than it should, in Kolkata, Siliguri or Bardhaman. Someone gets admitted, a relative runs to the billing desk, and only then does someone ask: “Do you have a Swasthya Sathi card?”<\/span><\/p>\n

That’s a shame, because Swasthya Sathi is one of the most family-friendly state schemes in India. \u20b95 lakh of cashless cover every year, no premium, no cap on family size, and both sets of parents included. In-laws too, yes.<\/span><\/p>\n

This blog is for the people who’d rather know before the hospital lobby. We’ll cover what the scheme pays for, how to get the card, who’s in and who’s out, and where a \u20b95 lakh family limit can feel tight.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your Swasthya Sathi card is in your mother’s purse, your office policy is in your inbox, and your father’s LIC papers are in a steel trunk.<\/b> We see you. <\/span>Book a call with us<\/span><\/a> and we’ll help you piece it all together. No adda required, but we’re happy to chat.<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<\/table>\n

Swasthya Sathi, minus the jargon<\/b><\/h3>\n

West Bengal’s cabinet announced Swasthya Sathi in February 2016, and the Chief Minister launched it on 30 December 2016. It’s run by the state’s Health & Family Welfare Department.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here’s what it gives a family:<\/span><\/p>\n