Retirement should not mean losing your medical safety net — and for railway families, it does not. The RELHS scheme is what keeps a retired railway employee and their family covered for medical treatment for life. Yet many retiring staff are unsure who is eligible, how much the one-time contribution is, how to enrol, and how the new UMID card fits in. This guide explains the Railway Employees Liberalised Health Scheme in plain language, and pairs with our Railway UMID card guide.
What is RELHS?
RELHS stands for the Railway Employees Liberalised Health Scheme, introduced in 1997 (commonly called RELHS-97). It extends comprehensive medical care to retired railway employees and their eligible dependents — so the medical cover you enjoyed as a serving employee continues after you hang up your uniform.
Under RELHS, a railway pensioner gets OPD (out-patient) and indoor (hospitalisation) treatment at railway hospitals and health units across the country, plus referral to recognised/empanelled private hospitals for treatment the railway facility cannot provide. In short, RELHS is the railways' own retiree health scheme — the railway equivalent of what CGHS is for central-civil pensioners, but run entirely through the railway medical network.
Who is eligible for RELHS?
RELHS eligibility broadly covers:
- Railway employees retiring on pension — the main group, who enrol at or around the time of superannuation.
- Earlier retirees — those who retired before but did not join can still enrol later by paying the subscription.
- Dependent family members — spouse and dependent children/parents as per railway medical rules, who get cover under the pensioner's enrolment.
- Family pensioners and widows — the family's medical cover continues under the scheme's provisions after the employee's service or life.
Each covered member is linked to the pensioner and, in the digital system, gets their own medical identity through the UMID card.
RELHS contribution / subscription
A very common question is about the RELHS contribution or subscription amount. The key point: RELHS is funded by a one-time subscription, not a monthly salary/pension deduction.
- The subscription is broadly linked to the last basic pay drawn, as per the applicable RELHS slabs.
- It is a one-time payment at the time of enrolment — after which the pensioner and eligible family are covered without recurring monthly medical premiums.
- The exact amount is fixed by railway orders and revised from time to time, so always confirm the current figure with your railway personnel branch or health unit before enrolling rather than relying on an old number.
This one-time model is why a railway retiree's monthly pension does not carry a CGHS-style medical deduction — the medical cover is secured up front through RELHS.
How to enrol in RELHS
Enrolling in RELHS is usually done at the time of retirement, alongside your pension paperwork, though earlier retirees can enrol later:
- Obtain and fill the RELHS enrolment application from your railway personnel/establishment or health unit.
- Add your dependent family details — names, relationship and dependency as per railway medical rules.
- Pay the one-time subscription as per the applicable slab.
- Submit for verification to the concerned railway health unit / personnel branch, which checks your service and pension records.
- Get your medical card — the identity card for RELHS beneficiaries is now the digital UMID card, generated through the UMID portal (umid.digitalir.in) after verification. See our UMID card apply, login & download guide for the full online process.
Because the exact forms and steps are updated from time to time, treat this as the overall flow and confirm the current procedure with your railway health unit.
Documents usually required for RELHS enrolment
- The completed RELHS enrolment/option form.
- Proof of retirement / PPO (Pension Payment Order) details.
- Proof of the one-time subscription payment.
- Passport-size photographs of the pensioner and each dependent.
- Proof of relationship and dependency for family members (as per railway medical rules).
- Aadhaar and an active mobile number for UMID registration and OTP.
Keeping these ready at the time of retirement makes both RELHS enrolment and UMID card generation far smoother, so there is no gap in medical cover between your last working day and your first day as a pensioner.
The RELHS medical card (UMID)
In the past, RELHS beneficiaries carried a paper medical card. Today, the UMID card (Unique Medical Identity) serves as the digital RELHS card. It is a QR-coded identity that the railway hospital scans to instantly confirm your entitlement, and it links each family member to the pensioner. Registering on the UMID portal is therefore an essential step for every RELHS enrollee — it turns your RELHS membership into a usable, portable digital card.
What RELHS covers — the benefits
RELHS gives railway retirees a genuinely valuable medical package:
- OPD treatment at railway health units and hospitals — consultations, medicines and routine care.
- Hospitalisation (indoor treatment) at railway hospitals.
- Referral to recognised/empanelled private hospitals where the railway facility cannot provide the required treatment, so specialised care is not blocked.
- Family cover — eligible dependents, family pensioners and widows are treated under the same enrolment.
- Lifelong cover after a one-time subscription — no recurring monthly medical premium.
For most railway families, this post-retirement cover is one of the most valued parts of railway service.
RELHS vs CGHS — clearing the confusion
Railway employees and pensioners are outside CGHS. This trips up many people, because CGHS is the medical scheme for most central government civil employees — postal, CBI and the civil ministries. Railways, however, run their own medical system: serving staff use railway hospitals/health units, and retirees use RELHS. So a railway pensioner should look to RELHS and the railway hospital network, not CGHS wellness centres. (For the civil-employee side, see how CGHS works in our other guides.)
Using RELHS after retirement
Once enrolled and holding a UMID card, using RELHS is straightforward: visit your railway hospital or health unit, present the UMID card (printed or digital), and the staff scan the QR code to confirm your RELHS entitlement. For treatment beyond the railway facility, the doctor issues a referral to a recognised hospital, and your record links the referral so the private hospital can treat you under the scheme. Keep your UMID details — especially dependents and contact number — up to date, because a mismatch can delay treatment at the counter.
Practical tips
- Enrol at retirement. The simplest time to join RELHS is along with your pension papers — don't leave it pending.
- Confirm the current subscription slab with your personnel/health unit before paying; the figure is revised periodically.
- Register on UMID immediately so your RELHS membership becomes a usable digital card for the whole family.
- Keep dependents updated — add or remove family members through the UMID update option as your family situation changes.
- Use official channels only — the UMID portal umid.digitalir.in for the card, and your railway health unit for RELHS queries.
Conclusion
RELHS is the reason a railway family's medical security does not end at retirement. Enrol at superannuation, pay the one-time subscription, register on the UMID portal for your digital card, and you and your eligible family are covered for OPD, hospitalisation and referrals through the railway medical network for life. Pair this with our Railway UMID card guide to get the card set up correctly, and keep your details current so treatment is never held up.
This guide is for general information on the Railway Employees Liberalised Health Scheme (RELHS-97). Rules, slabs and the one-time subscription are revised from time to time — always confirm the current position with your railway personnel branch / health unit and the official UMID portal.