Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Cancer surgery under Aarogyasri | CION Cancer Clinics
Yes, Aarogyasri covers cancer surgery. It pays the hospital a fixed package for a listed operation at a hospital on the scheme's network, and the family is not billed for anything inside that package. You need a valid Aarogyasri or food security card, the diagnosis reports, and pre-authorisation from the trust before a planned operation. This page explains who is eligible, how the route works and what usually falls outside. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
MM
Medically reviewed by Dr. Muralidhar MuddusettyConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery, AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- Does Aarogyasri cover cancer surgery?
- What you need to have before the Aarogyasri desk can help
- How a cancer operation goes through Aarogyasri
- What the scheme pays for, and what it usually does not
- Aarogyasri and a private health policy, compared
- Four things families are told about Aarogyasri, and what is true
- What this page cannot tell you
- Common questions about cancer surgery under Aarogyasri
The short answer
Does Aarogyasri cover cancer surgery?
Yes. Cancer surgery is one of the treatments Aarogyasri pays for, as a fixed package at a hospital on the scheme's network, with no bill handed to the family for what the package covers. The family needs a valid Aarogyasri or food security card, and the operation has to be on the scheme's list of procedures.
What the scheme is
Aarogyasri is the Telangana government's health cover for families below the poverty line and others the state has made eligible. It is run by a trust, not an insurer, and it pays hospitals a set amount for each listed procedure. In Telangana it now runs together with Ayushman Bharat, so one card is checked against both.
What it means at the hospital
Once the scheme approves the operation, the hospital claims the package from the trust and is not allowed to charge you for the items inside it. The operation, the stay, the medicines used during the stay and the tests linked to it are all inside. A period of follow-up care after discharge is included for many packages, with medicines given at the follow-up visits.
The scheme sets an annual limit for the whole family, and it has been raised more than once. Ask the Aarogyasri desk for the current figure rather than relying on what a neighbour was told.Who can use it
What you need to have before the Aarogyasri desk can help
- An Aarogyasri health card, or the family food security card
- Aadhaar for the patient, matching the name on the card
- The biopsy report and scans that show the diagnosis
- A referral or case sheet from the doctor who found the cancer, if there is one
- A hospital on the scheme's network that has an oncology package for the operation
- A mobile number for the pre-authorisation messages
Step by step
How a cancer operation goes through Aarogyasri
Meet the Aarogyasri Mithra
Every network hospital has a scheme desk with a coordinator, called an Aarogyasri Mithra. Show the card and the reports there first. They register the patient on the scheme's system.
The surgeon matches the operation to a package
The scheme lists operations by code. The surgeon chooses the code that fits the planned operation, and that code sets what the trust will pay and what is included.
Pre-authorisation from the trust
The hospital uploads the reports, photographs and the surgeon's plan. The trust's doctors approve, query or refuse. Planned operations wait for this; emergencies are admitted first.
Operation and discharge
Once approved, the operation, the stay and the medicines inside the package are provided without a bill for those items. At discharge the hospital records the outcome for the trust.
Follow-up visits
Many cancer packages include follow-up care for a period after discharge, with visits and medicines at the same hospital. Ask the desk how long yours runs and what is included.
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Inside the package
What the scheme pays for, and what it usually does not
The operation and the team
Surgeon, anaesthetist, theatre time and the ward or ICU stay the package allows. The room is a general ward or the category the scheme sets; a private room is not part of the package.
Medicines, tests and consumables during the stay
Everything used inside the hospital for the approved procedure is the hospital's cost, not yours. That includes blood tests, imaging linked to the operation and the pathology report on what was removed.
Follow-up after discharge
For a set period after some operations, visits and follow-up medicines at the same hospital are covered. Chemotherapy or radiotherapy after surgery are separate packages, approved on their own.
Usually outside
- Food and stay for the attendant
- Travel to and from the hospital
- Tests done privately before registering
Side by side
Aarogyasri and a private health policy, compared
Aarogyasri
Private health insurance
Pays the hospital a fixed package for a listed operation
Pays a share of the actual bill, up to the sum insured
No premium; eligibility comes from the family card
Premium paid each year; waiting periods apply
Room category fixed by the scheme
Room chosen by you, with a limit and deductions
No claim for the same admission from an insurer
Can be kept for a later admission the scheme does not cover
Commonly believed
Four things families are told about Aarogyasri, and what is true
"Aarogyasri only works at government hospitals."
The scheme has a network of both government and private hospitals. Any hospital on the network with an oncology package for your operation can take the case. The list is on the scheme's website, and the desk at any network hospital can confirm.
"The hospital can ask us to pay a little on top."
For items inside the approved package, no. The hospital is paid by the trust and cannot bill you for those. It can charge for things outside the package, such as a private room you asked for. Ask for a written list of anything you are asked to pay.
"We have a white card, so any treatment is covered."
The card makes the family eligible. Each treatment still has to be a listed procedure, approved in advance by the trust. Some tests and treatments are not on the list, and the annual family limit applies across everyone on the card.
"Scheme patients get a lesser operation."
The operation is chosen by the surgeon and the tumour board on medical grounds, then matched to a package code. The scheme decides how the hospital is paid, not what is done. If you are unsure, ask the surgeon what the plan would be without the scheme.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
This page cannot tell you whether your particular operation is on the list, or whether your family's annual limit has room left. Both are checked on the scheme's system by the Aarogyasri desk, using your card number. Ask there before assuming either way.
When the scheme does not apply
If the family is not eligible, if the operation is not a listed procedure, or if the limit for the year has been used, the scheme will not pay for that admission. That is the moment to ask about other cover: a private policy, CGHS, ECHS or EHS if anyone in the family is entitled, or the charitable and hospital funds described elsewhere in this section. CION accepts Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS and EHS, and most cashless insurers are empanelled.
What the scheme does not decide
Whether surgery is the right treatment, and which operation, is a medical decision for your surgical team. The scheme does not change it. If your team recommends something the scheme does not list, ask them to explain the choice and whether a listed alternative would serve as well. That conversation belongs with the surgeon, not the desk.
Bring the card, Aadhaar and every report to the desk together. Most of the questions on this page are answered in that first visit.Questions we are asked
Common questions about cancer surgery under Aarogyasri
Our card is in my mother's name. Can it be used for my father?
The card covers the family listed on it, not only the head of the household. The patient's name and Aadhaar must match a member on the card. If a family member is missing from the card, the desk will tell you how to get the record corrected; do that before admission, not after.
How long does the pre-authorisation take?
For a planned operation, usually a few working days once the reports are uploaded, longer if the trust raises a query. Emergencies are admitted first and approved afterwards. Give the desk everything at the first visit and keep your phone on, because most delays come from a missing document.
Are the tests before surgery covered?
Tests done at the network hospital as part of the approved package are covered. Tests done privately before you registered with the scheme usually are not, though the reports are still used. If more tests are needed to complete the plan, ask the desk whether they fall inside the package before paying for them.
Will chemotherapy or radiotherapy after the operation be covered too?
Usually yes, but as separate packages with their own approval. Medical oncology and radiation oncology are both on the scheme's list. Each course is approved on its own and counts against the family's annual limit, so ask the desk early what the whole plan will use.
Can we choose a private room under the scheme?
The package pays for the room category the scheme sets, usually a general ward. Some hospitals allow an upgrade at your own cost, others do not. If you want one, ask for the difference in writing before moving, and check that nothing inside the package is being billed along with it.
The hospital says the operation is not in the list. What now?
Ask the surgeon whether a listed procedure would serve the same purpose, and ask the desk to check the current list, which changes. If there is no listed option, the treatment can still go ahead under other cover or self-payment. The medical plan does not change; the way it is paid for does.
Can we use Aarogyasri at a hospital in Hyderabad if we live in a district?
Yes, at any hospital on the scheme's network, wherever you live in Telangana. Travel and the attendant's stay are not part of the package, so budget for those. Follow-up visits included in the package are at the same hospital, which matters when you are choosing where to have the operation.
Does CION treat Aarogyasri patients?
Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS and EHS are accepted, and most cashless insurers are empanelled. Call the helpline with your card number and the diagnosis, and the desk will check eligibility and tell you what to bring to the first visit so the pre-authorisation can start without delay.
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
Meet the Specialists
17+ senior cancer specialists. One panel for your case.
Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
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
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Hematologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
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. A surgical consultation can be booked at any of these centres through one helpline, and your team will tell you where the operation itself takes place.
Warangal
Vizag
Sources
- National Cancer Institute — Surgery to treat cancer
- American Cancer Society — Financial and insurance matters
- Cancer.Net — Financial considerations
- Tata Memorial Centre — Tata Memorial Centre
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
Aarogyasri Surgery Packages: How They WorkWhat a package code includes and excludesCancer Surgery Under Ayushman BharatThe national scheme that runs alongside Aarogyasri in TelanganaFree and Subsidised Cancer Surgery in TelanganaOther routes if the scheme does not applyAttendant Stay, Food and Travel Costs During AdmissionThe costs the package does not coverCost, Insurance and Schemes for Cancer SurgeryEvery page on paying for an operation
Talk to us
Have an Aarogyasri card and a diagnosis?
Tell us the card number and what has been found. The scheme desk will check eligibility and tell you what to bring so the pre-authorisation can start. One helpline serves every CION centre.