CMCHIS 2026 — Tamil Nadu's Rs 5 Lakh Health Scheme: Eligibility, Card & How to Use
For Tamil Nadu residents, current to 2026. Scheme cover, eligibility limit and process are summarised from official CMCHIS information and can be revised — confirm on the official CMCHIS portal. Educational information, not advice.
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| For lakhs of Tamil Nadu families, a hospital bill is covered by a card they may not know they're entitled to. |
Health insurance is the one protection most families don't buy until it's too late. In Tamil Nadu, lakhs of families already have substantial cover and don't realise it — through CMCHIS, the state's flagship health scheme. If your household qualifies, a major surgery that would otherwise wipe out your savings can be fully cashless. Here's exactly who's covered, what you get, and how to enrol and use it.
- Rs 5 lakh per family per year, cashless, on a floater basis.
- Eligible: TN families with annual income below Rs 1,20,000, named on the ration card.
- Usable at 1,700+ empanelled government and private hospitals.
- Enrol with an income certificate; download the e-card with your URN or ration card number.
- It's strong but limited — many families keep a small private policy alongside it.
What is CMCHIS?
CMCHIS — the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme — is Tamil Nadu's government health-cover programme. The state funds insurance that lets eligible families get cashless treatment for serious illnesses and surgeries at empanelled hospitals, up to Rs 5,00,000 per family per year on a floater basis (the whole sum can be used by any one member or shared across the family). It covers listed surgeries, critical care, diagnostics and follow-up — the expensive episodes that push families into debt.
Who is eligible for CMCHIS?
The scheme is income-based and works at the family level. You qualify if:
- you are a resident of Tamil Nadu;
- your annual family income is below Rs 1,20,000; and
- your family members are named on the family ration card.
Eligible Sri Lankan refugees and migrants with valid certificates are also covered. Because eligibility is tied to the income certificate and ration card, keeping both current is what gets you in.
What does CMCHIS cover?
The Rs 5 lakh is meant for the costly, planned and emergency procedures — major surgeries, cardiac and cancer care, critical illnesses, diagnostics and follow-up on the approved list — delivered cashless at empanelled hospitals. It is not designed for routine outpatient visits or every minor expense; it's the safety net for the big bills. The exact procedure list and package rates are set by the scheme, so check whether a specific treatment is covered before admission where you can.
How do I apply for / enrol in CMCHIS? (step by step)
- Get an income certificate from the Village Administrative Officer (VAO) or through a TN e-Sevai centre, showing family income within the limit.
- Visit the nearest CMCHIS enrolment kiosk or e-Sevai centre with the family ration card, Aadhaar of members, the income certificate and photographs.
- Members are enrolled with biometrics, and a Unique Reference Number (URN) is generated for the family.
- That URN is your key to the card and to cashless treatment.
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| From enrolment to cashless treatment in four steps. |
How do I download my CMCHIS e-card?
Once enrolled, you don't have to wait for a physical card:
- Go to the official CMCHIS portal and choose the Smart Card / e-card download option.
- Enter your URN or ration card number and the requested details.
- Click Generate e-card and download the PDF — print it or keep it on your phone.
How do I use CMCHIS at a hospital?
This is the part that matters in an emergency. Go to any of the 1,700+ empanelled government or private hospitals, and at the insurance / MEDCO desk show your CMCHIS card and an ID. The hospital raises a cashless pre-authorisation with the scheme, and approved treatment up to your limit is paid directly — you don't settle the bill yourself. Always confirm the hospital is empanelled before a planned admission.
CMCHIS vs private health insurance — do you need both?
CMCHIS is genuinely valuable, but it has edges: it's capped at Rs 5 lakh, limited to listed procedures and empanelled hospitals, and family-floater. A separate private health policy can add wider hospital choice, higher limits, and treatments outside the CMCHIS list. Many families treat them as complementary — CMCHIS as the state-funded base, a modest private policy on top. If you're weighing private cover, understand the fine print first: see our guides on health-insurance waiting periods and what to do if a claim is rejected for a pre-existing disease.
Frequently asked questions
Who is eligible for CMCHIS?
TN resident families with annual income below Rs 1,20,000, named on the family ration card; eligible refugees/migrants with valid certificates too.
How much does CMCHIS cover?
Up to Rs 5,00,000 per family per year on a floater basis, cashless, for listed surgeries, critical care, diagnostics and follow-up.
How do I apply?
Get an income certificate from the VAO/e-Sevai, then enrol at a CMCHIS/e-Sevai centre with the ration card, Aadhaar and income certificate; a URN is issued.
How do I download my card?
On the official CMCHIS portal, choose e-card download, enter your URN or ration card number, click Generate e-card and save the PDF.
How do I use it at a hospital?
Show the card at the insurance/MEDCO desk of an empanelled hospital; they raise a cashless pre-authorisation for covered treatment.
Do I still need private insurance?
CMCHIS is capped and limited to listed procedures and empanelled hospitals, so a small private policy alongside adds choice and higher limits.
The bottom line
If your family is on a Tamil Nadu ration card and your income is modest, CMCHIS may already cover you for up to Rs 5 lakh of hospital treatment — you just need the income certificate, the enrolment, and the e-card in your phone. Sort it before you need it: check eligibility, enrol at an e-Sevai centre, download the card, and note a couple of empanelled hospitals near you. It is one of the most valuable pieces of paperwork a qualifying family can hold.
About the author. Dinesh Kumar S is the founder of Finance Guided, based in Chennai. B.Sc. Mathematics, M.Sc. Information Technology, with 5+ years in accounts, GST and audit. He writes a regulation-reader's column on Indian personal finance — every claim anchored to the actual rule or scheme document.
Disclaimer: General consumer-awareness and education only, not advice. CMCHIS cover, the income-eligibility limit, the procedure list and the enrolment/card process can change and are administered by the Government of Tamil Nadu and its insurer. Always confirm current eligibility, covered procedures and steps on the official CMCHIS portal or at an e-Sevai centre before relying on them.
Dinesh Kumar S
Founder & AuthorDinesh is an accounts & GST compliance professional with 5+ years inside the Indian tax-compliance machinery at a Chennai-based IT services company. He writes a regulation-reader's column on Indian personal finance — every claim anchored to the actual Act, regulation, or circular it comes from. No product sales, no commissions, no paid placements.