Sikkim government seeks Nagaland’s technical guidance and cooperation to adopt the CMHIS model, including cashless treatment and wider hospital empanelment.
DIMAPUR — The Sikkim government is keen to adopt the Nagaland Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme (CMHIS) model and has sought technical guidance and continued cooperation from the Nagaland government.
This was conveyed by Secretary to the Chief Minister of Sikkim, Karma N Bhutia, during an interaction with Nagaland Development Commissioner Y Kikheto Sema at his office chamber at the Nagaland Civil Secretariat, Kohima, on Monday.
According to a DIPR report, the Sikkim delegation is on a two-day visit to Nagaland to study the implementation of CMHIS.
Bhutia said the Sikkim team considered the visit a valuable learning experience, particularly in understanding how Nagaland has implemented a health insurance scheme providing cashless treatment to beneficiaries across geographical boundaries.
He also expressed appreciation for Nagaland’s health coverage and cashless healthcare initiatives, including access to empanelled hospitals outside the State.
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He said Sikkim was interested in learning from Nagaland’s experience despite the challenges the state had faced in establishing the system, including hospital empanelment, reimbursement and service delivery.
According to Bhutia, these efforts had created a strong foundation that other states could build upon.
Bhutia recalled that the decision to study Nagaland’s model followed an interaction with the Development Commissioner at a NITI Aayog meeting on June 12, 2026, where Nagaland’s achievements in health insurance and other sectors were highlighted.
Following the interaction, the Sikkim state leadership directed officials to visit Nagaland and examine the implementation of CMHIS, he said.
During the interaction, Sema highlighted the evolution of CMHIS from the initial implementation of the central government health insurance scheme.
He said the scheme faced several challenges in its early stages, including limited hospital empanelment and inadequate reimbursement rates.
The state government subsequently revised the arrangements, improved reimbursement rates and expanded the network of empanelled hospitals, Sema said.
He informed that more than 70 hospitals across the country are currently empanelled under CMHIS, including hospitals frequently accessed by patients from Nagaland in Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati. Government and private hospitals within Nagaland are also part of the network, he added.
Sema further stated that around 64,000 beneficiaries had been registered under CMHIS, while approximately INR 252 crore had been paid towards treatment under the scheme over a period of nearly four years.
He said a significant number of Nagaland residents not covered under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) had been brought under CMHIS.
The combined coverage under the two schemes, he added, had been an important step towards ensuring access to cashless healthcare for people in the state.
On Nagaland’s overall development, Sema said the state had made progress since attaining statehood despite prolonged challenges and unrest.
However, he stressed that much remained to be done, particularly in the health, road, agriculture and allied sectors.
The Sikkim delegation comprised Bhutia, Special Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office Depen Sharma, Chief Medical Officer to the Chief Minister Dr. Subash Tamang and Staff Officer to the Chief Medical Officer Tenzing Chopel Bhutia.
During the two-day visit, the delegation will hold discussions with the Planning and Health departments and other concerned departments, besides visiting selected institutions and facilities to study CMHIS and other development initiatives.
The interaction concluded with a commitment to strengthen cooperation, exchange best practices and promote mutual learning between Nagaland and Sikkim.