Sehat Sahulat / Naya Pakistan Health Card in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Reviewed by the Commoner Law editorial team. Sources: pakistancode.gov.pk, Punjab/Sindh/KP/Balochistan provincial codes, Supreme Court of Pakistan, FBR, EOBI, SBP, NEPRA, OGRA, PMDC, FIA, and provincial Healthcare Commissions. Provincial variations cite Punjab/Sindh/KP/Balochistan Acts and ICT-specific ordinances. Written in plain English with everyday Urdu legal terms (FIR, qabza, khula, NTN, CNIC) for a general audience — this is educational content, not legal advice. Our editorial standards
What is this right?
SMS your CNIC to 8500. That is the fastest way to know whether your family is currently covered by Sehat Sahulat, because eligibility has shifted with provincial governments. KP and Gilgit-Baltistan still run universal cover. Punjab has narrowed the rollout since 2024 to BISP and NSER-identified families. Sindh and Balochistan run their own poverty-targeted variants.
The Sehat Sahulat Programme is Pakistan's most ambitious public health insurance scheme. It began in KP as the Sehat Insaf Card in December 2015 under Imran Khan's PTI provincial government, was rolled out federally and rebranded as Sehat Sahulat after the 2018 election, and saw its biggest expansion under Punjab's universal-coverage push of 2021–2023 before the post-2024 PMLN government scaled the Punjab side back to BISP-targeted families. Eligible families get a smart card entitling them to inpatient treatment at empanelled public and private hospitals up to a notified ceiling, typically Rs 1 million per family per year, with extensions for cardiac, cancer, and transplant cases.
- KP: Universal health coverage for all KP residents since 2020.
- Punjab: Universal coverage 2021–2023 under the previous provincial government; the post-2024 administration has scaled back coverage and increasingly targets BISP / NSER-identified families. Status varies by district — verify before relying.
- Gilgit-Baltistan: Universal.
- Tharparkar: District-wide.
- Sindh: Has its own Sehat Sahulat Programme variant for poverty-targeted families.
- Balochistan: Pilot in select districts.
What's covered: inpatient treatment, surgery, ICU/CCU, dialysis, basic cancer treatment, maternity. What's not: outpatient (OPD) visits, dental routine care, cosmetic surgery, fertility treatment.
How to use: present CNIC at the empanelled hospital — they verify eligibility through the Sehat Sahulat smart system. Treatment is cashless. The hospital bills State Life Insurance directly.
When does it apply?
- You're a Pakistani citizen residing in a province/area where Sehat Sahulat is active.
- You need inpatient treatment.
- Your CNIC verifies eligibility at the hospital reception.
What to do to use Sehat Sahulat
- Verify eligibility by SMS to 8500 with your CNIC, or at sehatsahulat.com.pk.
- Find an empanelled hospital — full list at sehatsahulat.com.pk. Includes major private hospitals (Shifa, AKUH for some procedures, Doctors Hospital, etc.) and all teaching hospitals.
- Carry CNIC; the smart card is not strictly required at most hospitals — biometric verification works.
- If hospital refuses: complain to State Life and provincial Health Department. Many refusals are due to administrative confusion and resolve quickly.
- For specialist treatment (cardiac, cancer, transplant), specific approval pathways apply — the empanelled hospital's Sehat Sahulat desk guides.
What should you NOT do?
- Don't pay anything at empanelled hospitals. Treatment is cashless. Cash demands are illegal under the SOP.
- Don't fall for fake "Sehat Sahulat agents." The card is free; no agent or middleman is required for issuance.
- Don't assume coverage abroad — Sehat Sahulat is in-country only.
How Khyber Pakhtunkhwa differs from federal Pakistani law
KP was the first province to launch universal Sehat Sahulat coverage (2020) and the only province to retain it after Punjab's 2024 scope reduction. Every KP resident with a valid CNIC is automatically eligible.
- Coverage: Rs 1 million per family per year, with extensions for transplant, cardiac, and cancer treatment.
- No income test — universal coverage, including for the wealthy.
- Empanelled hospitals: Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Saidu Group of Hospitals Swat, plus major private hospitals.
- Treatment is cashless; biometric verification at hospital reception.
- Programme administered by State Life Insurance Corporation through the KP Health Department.
For ex-FATA residents, the merger brought Sehat Sahulat coverage too — a major welfare expansion in those previously underserved districts.
Additional steps in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
KP Sehat Sahulat: kpssp.gov.pk. SMS CNIC to 8500 for verification. State Life helpline 0800-09009 for complaints about denied cashless treatment.
Relevant law: Sehat Sahulat Programme (KP universal model); KP Health Department orders
Frequently asked questions
Is Sehat Sahulat universal in Pakistan?
Universal in KP and GB. In Punjab, scaled back to BISP-targeted families since 2024. In Sindh and Balochistan, partial schemes. Verify by CNIC at sehatsahulat.com.pk for current status.
Does it cover dental and outpatient?
No. Sehat Sahulat covers inpatient treatment only — admission, surgery, ICU/CCU, etc. OPD visits, routine dental, cosmetic surgery, and fertility are excluded.
Can I be charged anything at an empanelled hospital?
No. Treatment is cashless under the SOP. Any cash demand is a violation. Report to State Life Insurance and the provincial Health Department.
When does sehat sahulat / naya pakistan health card apply?
You're a Pakistani citizen residing in a province/area where Sehat Sahulat is active.You need inpatient treatment.Your CNIC verifies eligibility at the hospital reception.
Am I eligible for Sehat Sahulat in Pakistan?
Verify eligibility by SMS to 8500 with your CNIC, or at sehatsahulat.com.pk.Find an empanelled hospital — full list at sehatsahulat.com.pk. Includes major private hospitals (Shifa, AKUH for some procedures, Doctors Hospital, etc.) and all teaching hospitals.Carry CNIC; the smart card is not strictly required at most hospitals — biometric verification works.If hospital refuses: complain to State Life and provincial Health Department. Many refusals are due to administrative confusion and resolve quickly.For specialist treatment (cardiac, cancer, transplant), specific approval pathways apply — th...
What mistakes should I avoid with sehat sahulat / naya pakistan health card?
Don't pay anything at empanelled hospitals. Treatment is cashless. Cash demands are illegal under the SOP.Don't fall for fake "Sehat Sahulat agents." The card is free; no agent or middleman is required for issuance.Don't assume coverage abroad — Sehat Sahulat is in-country only.