Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Aarogyasri and NTR Vaidya Seva: what they mean for liver cancer | CION Cancer Clinics
Aarogyasri is Telangana's scheme and Dr NTR Vaidya Seva is Andhra Pradesh's. Both can pay an empanelled hospital directly for listed liver cancer treatments, one approval at a time. Liver cancer is harder than most cancers to plan around, because surgery, TACE, medicines and transplant are each approved separately. This page explains what usually counts, what often does not, and what to check before treatment starts. At CION Cancer Clinics, we explain costs in writing and help families from across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh plan treatment in Hyderabad.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed October 2026, next review due October 2027
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On this page
- Which scheme is mine, Aarogyasri or NTR Vaidya Seva?
- How do the two schemes compare for a liver cancer patient?
- Which liver cancer treatments usually appear on scheme lists?
- What would these treatments cost without a scheme?
- Four things families assume about the schemes
- What about a liver transplant under the scheme?
- What this page cannot tell you
- Common questions about Aarogyasri and NTR Vaidya Seva
The short answer
Which scheme is mine, Aarogyasri or NTR Vaidya Seva?
It depends on which state issued your family's card. Aarogyasri is the Telangana government's health scheme. Dr NTR Vaidya Seva is the Andhra Pradesh scheme, and it has carried other names over the years, which is why so many families are unsure which one they hold.
Both schemes work in a similar way. A trust run by the state government pays an empanelled hospital directly for a listed treatment, called a package, so the family does not pay that hospital's bill for it. Many cancer treatments sit on both lists, including several used in liver cancer.
Why liver cancer is harder than most
Liver cancer care often moves between several kinds of treatment, each priced and approved separately. An operation, TACE (blocking the tumour's blood supply through a fine tube) and tablets or infusions each need their own approval. A liver transplant sits under separate rules altogether. So one approval rarely covers the whole journey.
This page is about cancer that started in the liver and cancer that spread to it from elsewhere. The scheme approves the package for the cancer named in your diagnosis, so the type matters for the paperwork too.
Scheme rules, package lists and names change. Check every detail with the scheme help desk at the time you apply.Side by side
How do the two schemes compare for a liver cancer patient?
Aarogyasri (Telangana)
Dr NTR Vaidya Seva (Andhra Pradesh)
For families with a Telangana card that the scheme recognises
For families with an Andhra Pradesh card that the scheme recognises
Run by the Aarogyasri Health Care Trust of the Telangana government
Run by the Dr NTR Vaidya Seva Trust of the Andhra Pradesh government
Used at hospitals empanelled by the Telangana trust, mainly within the state
Used at hospitals empanelled by the Andhra Pradesh trust, which has included some in Hyderabad
Linked in some form to Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY
Linked in some form to Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY
Each treatment step needs approval before it starts
Each treatment step needs approval before it starts
What the packages cover
Which liver cancer treatments usually appear on scheme lists?
The exact list changes. These are the questions to ask about each part of your plan.
Surgery
Removing part of the liver, called a resection, is a major operation that schemes have generally listed. The approval names the operation, the hospital and the stay. Your team will tell you where the operation takes place.
TACE and ablation
These procedures treat the tumour from inside the liver. Some hospitals have them on the list and some do not, and repeat sessions may each need a fresh approval. Ask before every session.
Medicines
Chemotherapy is commonly listed. Newer targeted tablets and immunotherapy may or may not be. Ask which named medicine the package covers, because a package can name an older drug.
Transplant and Y-90
A transplant runs under separate rules, often with its own conditions. Y-90, also called TARE, is a radiation treatment given into the liver's blood vessels and is frequently not listed. Plan for both to be checked separately.
Ask about these too
- Scans and biopsy before the diagnosis is confirmed
- Medicines to take home after discharge
- Follow-up scans in the months after treatment
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Indicative cost
What would these treatments cost without a scheme?
These are 2026 Hyderabad estimates, not quotes. They show what a package is worth to your family when it is approved.
₹75,000 – ₹2,50,000
TACE, per session
Many people need more than one session over time.
₹50,000 – ₹1,50,000
Radiofrequency ablation
Heat used to destroy a small tumour through a needle.
₹3,00,000 – ₹6,00,000
Liver resection, open
Laparoscopic resection is usually quoted higher.
₹80,000 – ₹3,00,000 or more
Systemic therapy, per cycle
Tablets or infusions. The cost depends on the plan.
Indicative only. When a scheme approves a package at an empanelled hospital, the hospital is paid by the trust for that package, and your out-of-pocket cost can be very different from these figures. Items outside the package are billed separately. A transplant is quoted separately and is not included here. Ask for a written, itemised estimate.
Commonly believed
Four things families assume about the schemes
"Our card covers everything once cancer is diagnosed."
The scheme pays for listed packages, one approval at a time. A medicine or procedure that is not on the list, or a hospital that is not empanelled for it, falls outside. Read what Aarogyasri does not cover before you plan.
"An Andhra card cannot be used in Hyderabad."
The Andhra Pradesh trust has empanelled some hospitals in Hyderabad in the past. Whether a particular hospital accepts your card for liver cancer today has to be checked with that hospital's scheme desk.
"If the scheme covers it, the treatment must be the right one."
A package is a payment rule, not a medical opinion. The right treatment depends on the tumour, how well the liver works and how fit you are. Decide that first with your doctors, then check the cover.
"Alcohol or hepatitis in the history means the claim will be refused."
Government schemes look at the diagnosis and the listed treatment. The cause of the illness is not a moral test. Tell your doctors the full history, because it changes safe treatment choices.
The expensive step
What about a liver transplant under the scheme?
A transplant costs far more than every other liver cancer treatment, and schemes treat it differently. Cover, conditions and the hospitals allowed to do it are set separately, and they change. Only licensed transplant centres can carry out a transplant.
Where the liver comes from also changes the picture. A deceased donor liver in Telangana is allocated through Jeevandan, the state's organ donation programme, under its own rules. A living donor transplant involves a family member and its own legal approvals. Buying or selling an organ is illegal in India. Read how Jeevandan works and what a transplant bill includes before you speak to the transplant centre.
Who this does not suit
Most people with liver cancer are not transplant candidates, because of the tumour's size, spread or their general health. If your team has not raised a transplant, the scheme question is about the other treatments above. Many families also hold private insurance or a central scheme such as CGHS, and the rules for those are different. See Ayushman Bharat and liver cancer for the central scheme.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you whether your card is active, whether your treatment is on the current list, or what the package pays. Those answers come from the scheme help desk at the hospital, which checks your card and your diagnosis on the trust's own system. This page is general information, not legal or financial advice.
It also cannot tell you which treatment you need. That comes from a team that has seen your scans, your blood tests and how well your liver is working. At CION, the tumour board reviews the plan and the team helps with scheme paperwork. One helpline serves every centre, and it can tell you which schemes are handled where.
Bring the card, your Aadhaar and every report to the first visit. Missing papers are the most common cause of delay.Questions we are asked
Common questions about Aarogyasri and NTR Vaidya Seva
Does Aarogyasri cover liver cancer treatment?
Many liver cancer treatments have been listed as packages, including surgery and chemotherapy. Some procedures and newer medicines may not be. Cover is approved one treatment at a time, at an empanelled hospital, after the diagnosis is confirmed. Ask the scheme desk to check your exact plan against the current list.
I live in Andhra Pradesh. Can I be treated in Hyderabad?
Sometimes. The Andhra Pradesh trust has empanelled some Hyderabad hospitals in the past, but the list changes. Call the hospital's scheme desk before you travel and ask whether it accepts your card for the treatment you have been advised. That saves a wasted journey from the district.
Are TACE sessions covered more than once?
That depends on the current package rules and the hospital. Repeat sessions often need a fresh approval each time, based on a new scan. Ask the scheme desk before each session, and keep a copy of every approval letter and discharge summary for the next request. Read about TACE costs too.
Are immunotherapy and targeted tablets covered?
Sometimes, and sometimes not. Packages can name a particular medicine, and the newest ones are often missing. Ask which named medicine the package covers before you agree a plan. If your doctor recommends one that is not covered, ask for a written estimate and discuss the alternatives openly.
Does the scheme pay for the scans before diagnosis?
Rules on tests before a confirmed diagnosis vary and change. Some tests are part of a package once treatment is approved, and others are paid by the family. Ask the scheme desk which tests count and keep every bill and report, because you may need them for the approval itself.
What if my card does not show up in the system?
Ask the scheme desk to tell you exactly why. It may be a name mismatch, a card that needs renewal or a family member missing from the record. These are fixed through the government office that issued the card. Start early, because treatment approval cannot begin until the card is recognised.
Can we use the scheme and private insurance together?
The rules on combining a state scheme with private insurance vary, and they are set by the scheme and your insurer, not by the hospital. Tell the billing team about every cover you hold at the start. They can explain which one is used for which part of the treatment.
Who at CION can help with the paperwork?
The team helps families gather the documents and prepare scheme requests, and explains what an approval does and does not include. Call the helpline with your card type and your reports ready. Someone will tell you honestly which steps apply to your plan and which centre handles them.
What moves the figure
What affects the cost
Four things change the total more than anything else.
The technique used
A shaped or image-guided delivery costs more than a conventional one, and is chosen on clinical grounds rather than preference.
How many sessions
The total is driven by the number of sittings or cycles, not by a single per-visit figure.
Supporting tests
Scans, blood work and pathology done alongside treatment are billed separately.
Your cover
Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS, EHS or cashless insurance usually change the out-of-pocket figure substantially.
Paying for it
Insurance, schemes and payment
What you actually pay usually differs a great deal from the sticker figure.
AarogyasriEmpanelled. Bring the card and a referral where you have one.
CGHS / ECHS / EHSAccepted at CION centres for eligible treatment.
Cashless insuranceMost major insurers are empanelled. Pre-authorisation is handled by our desk.
Self-payItemised estimate given before treatment starts. No EMI scheme exists.
Accreditation and empanelment
- NABH
- NABL
- ISO 9001:2015
- ArogyaSri empanelled
- CGHS accepted
- ECHS accepted
- EHS accepted
- Major cashless insurers
Your Specialists
Meet CION's liver cancer specialists. Bring your scan reports and liver blood tests.
Our medical and surgical oncologists plan liver cancer care together, weighing the tumour and how well your liver works before choosing surgery, a liver-directed procedure or medicines.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Want a specific doctor for your case? Mention them when booking.
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Where to find us
Our centres in and around Hyderabad
Addressed by landmark, because that is how this city navigates. One helpline books a consultation at any of these centres, and your team will tell you where each test and operation takes place.
Warangal
Vizag
Sources
- National Cancer Institute — Managing Cancer Costs and Medical Information
- American Cancer Society — Treating Liver Cancer
- NOTTO (MoHFW) — NOTTO
- National Cancer Institute — Liver Cancer Treatment
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
How to apply for Aarogyasri for liver cancerThe step-by-step paperwork, from card to approvalWhat Aarogyasri does not coverThe gaps to plan for before treatment startsDoes Aarogyasri cover liver cancer treatment?The quick yes-or-no, treatment by treatmentAarogyasri or NTR Vaidya Seva: which is yours?How the two schemes apply to chemotherapy
Talk to us
Not sure what your card will cover?
Tell us your card type and the treatment you have been advised. We will explain the paperwork and what to check before you travel. One helpline serves every CION centre.