ECHS Order – ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR ECHS MEMBERSHIP

Sr No

Relation

Condition for Eligibility

Authority on letter

Remarks

1.

ESM (Pensioner)

(a)Any person who has served in army rank (whether) as combatant or an Non-combatant) in the regular Army, Navy and Air Force of the Indian Union, and fulfils the following conditions:-

(i)Individual should have an Ex-serviceman status.

(ii) Individual should be in receipt of Pension/Family Pension/Disability Pension drawn from Controller of Defence Accounts.

(b) Military Nursing Service (MNS) pensioners.

(c)  Whole time officers of National Cadet Corps (NCC).

(d) Special Frontier Forces (SFF) pensioners.

(e) Defence Security Corps (DSC) pensioners.

(f) Uniformed Indian Coast Guard (ICG), pensioners.

(g) Nepal Demiciled Gorkha (NDG) pensioners.

(h) Territorial Army (TA) pensioners.

(aa) MoD ID No 22(1)/01/US(WE)/D(Res) dated 30 Dec 2002.

(ab) Central Org ECHS letter No B/49764/AG/ECHS dated 10 Oct 2003.

(ac) Central Org ECHS letter No B/49701-PR/AG/ECHS dated 01 Jun 2006.

(ad) MoD ID No 18(17)/2011/US(WE) dated 31 Oct 2012.

(ae) MoD ID No 22D(03)/2015/WE/D(Res) dated 17 Nov 2016.

(af) MoD ID No 22D(10)/10/US (WE)/D(Res) dated 21 Mar 2011.

(ag) MoD ID No 22(68)/2006/US(WE)/D(Res) dated 22 Jan 2008.

(ah) MoD ID No 22D(48)/2006/US(WE)/D(Res) dated 14 Sep 2010.

(i)Eligible APS pensioners.

2.

Family Pensioner

 Implies the legally wedded spouse of an Armed Forces personnel, whose name figures in the service records of the personnel and whose husband/wife (as the case may be) has died either while in service or after retirement and is granted family pension. This term also includes a child or children drawing family pension on the death of his/her pension drawing father/mother, as also parents of a deceased bachelor soldier, who are in receipt of family pension.

(i)Central Org ECHS letter No B/49764/AG/ECHS dated 10 Oct 2003.

(ii) Central Org ECHS letter No B/49701-PR/AG/ECHS/2017 dated 06 Feb 2017.

3.

Wife

(a)  Legally wedded wife including more than one wife. Spouse living separately is included as dependent, as long as the ESM pensioner is responsible for her maintenance. In case spouse remarries, then he/she is not entitled.

(b)  In the event of plural marriage, where it is permitted by the rules, the following conditions should be fulfilled for claiming ECHS membership:-

(i)Necessary causality for entering into plural marriage should have been published through Unit Part II Orders and names of both the wives should be found recorded in the Service Discharge Book/Service Particulars Retired Officers booklet issued by respective Service HQs.

(ii)The name of both the wives, should be found recorded in the PPO for grant of ‘Family Pension’ award,

(iii) In case of widows, both wives should be in receipt of a share of ‘Family Pension’ and PPO produced in support of evidence.

(iv) If a war widow remarries then she and her children from first marriage are eligible. Her husband, however, will NOT be eligible.

(i)Central Org ECHS letter No B/49701-PR/AG/ECHS dated 01 Jun 2006.

(ii)Central Org ECHS letter No B/49701-PR/AG/ECHS dated 15 Jun 2011.

4.

Dependent Unemployed & Unmarried Daughter(s)

(a)Her/their details must exist in the service record of the pensioner.

(b)Eligible till she starts earning or gets married whichever is earlier.

(c) Department, divorced/abandoned or separated form their husband/widowed daughters whose income from all sources is less than Rs 9000/- (including DA) pm are entitled.

(i)Central Org ECHS letter No B/49701-PR/AG/ECHS dated 01 Jun 2006.

(ii) MH & FW OM No 4-24/96-C&P/CGHS/ CGHS (P) dated 3 May 2007.

(iii) Central Org ECHS letter No B/49701-PR/AG/ECHS/2017 dated 06 Feb 2017.

5.

Dependent Unemployed & Unmarried Sons

(a)His/their details must exist in the service record of the pensioner.

(c)  Son is eligible for ECHS membership till he starts earning or attains the age of 25 years or gets married, whichever is earlier.

(c)In addition, the scheme provides white card facilities for critical disabilities as per provision of Person with Disability Act (PWD Act) – 1995. PWD Act provides opportunity for treatment to dependent of beneficiaries over and above the laid down criteria of age. These concessions are currently applicable for the following disabilities only:-

(i)               Blindness.

(ii)             Low vision.

(iii)          Leprosy cured.

(iv)           Hearing impairment.

(v)             Locomotor disability.

(vi)           Mental retardation.

(vii)        Mental illness.

(aa) Central Org ECHS letter No B/49701-PR/AG/ECHS dated 01 Jun 2006.

(ab) MH & FW OM No 4-24/96-C&P/CGHS/ CGHS (P) dated 31 May 2007.

(ac) MH & FW OM No 4-24/96-C&P/CGHS/ CGHS (P) dated 02 Aug 2010.

(ad) Central Org ECHS letter No B/49701-PR/AG/ECHS/2017 dated 01 Feb 2017.

(ae) Central Org ECHS letter No B/49701-PR/Gen/AG/ECHS 2017 dated 31 May 2017.

6.

Adopted Children

 Children including step children, legally adopted children, children taken as wards by the Government servant under the Guardians and Ward Act 1980, provided that such a ward lives with him, treated as a family member and is given the status of a natural-born child through a special will executed by the Govt. Servant.

(i) MoD ID No 18(17)/2011/US(WE) dated 31 Oct 2012.

(ii) MH & FW OM No S-11011/1/91-CGHS(P) dated 26 Aug 1991.

7.

When Both Husband and Wife are Central Govt Employees

(a)Where both husband and wife, are Central Govt. employees either of them may prefer claim for self and eligible members of the family, according to the status of the claimant. A joint declaration as to who will prefer the claim should be furnished. If declaration is not furnished concession is to be availed by all including wife according to the status of the husband.

(b) If spouse is employed in a State Govt. Defence/Railways, Corporations or bodies financed partly or wholly by the Central or State Govt. local bodies and private organizations which provide medical services, the medical facility can be availed at one place only and a joint declaration as to who shall prefer the claim is required to be furnished.

(c)In case, both husband and wife contribute towards the ECHS Scheme, the parents of both will be entitled to the medical facilities if they fulfil other conditions of eligibility.

(d) The Scheme being compulsory in nature, husband/wife who retires first, should pay the contribution and avail benefits of the Scheme and no subscription should be deducted from husband/wife who retires later. He/she will be eligible for benefits under the Scheme as a spouse.

(i) MoD ID No 18(17)/2011/US(WE) dated 31 Oct 2012.

(ii) MH & FW OM No S.11011/6/92-CGHS DESK-I/CGHS (P) dated 04 Aug 1994.

(iii) MoD ID No 22D(17)/2016/(WE)/D dated 02 Jun 2017.

8.

Dependent Parents

(a)Parents (excluding step parents), subject to the following: –

(i)Father and mother of the ESM pensioner shall be deemed to be dependent if they normally reside with the ESM pensioner and their combined income form all sources does NOT exceed Rs 9,000/- (including DA) pm.

(ii) “Parents i.e, mother and father” of unmarried deceased soldier and in case of deceased parents, then ‘NOK’ of unmarried deceased soldier are also eligible, provided they are in receipt of liberalized family pension.

(iii) In case of adoption, adoptive parents and not real parents.

(iv) If adoptive father has more than one wife, only the first wife.

(v) In case of female employees, parents or parents-in-law, at her option, subject to the conditions of dependency and residence etc being satisfied.

Note:- Option to include either parents or parents-in-law is not available to a female pensioner.

(aa) MoD ID No 18(17)/2011/US(WE) dated 31 Oct 2012.

(ab) MH & FW OM No F. 4(1)-18/63-H dated 03 Mar 1987.

(ac) 37-1-97-C&P/CGHS/Pt.III/CGHS (P) dated 26 May 1999.

9.

Dependent Sisters

(a)Dependent unmarried/divorced/abandoned or separated from their husband/widowed sisters.

(b) Irrespective of age.

(i) MoD ID No 18(17)/2011/US(WE) dated 31 Oct 2012.

(ii) MH & FW OM No 4-24/96-C&P/CGHS/ CGHS (P) dated 31 May 2007.

10.

Dependent Brothers

(a) Minor brother(s) upto the age of becoming a major.

(b) Brothers suffering from permanent disability either physically or mentally, without any age limit. Provided he is unmarried, not having own family, wholly dependent on and residing with principal ECHS Card holder beneficiary.

(i) MoD ID No 18(17)/2011/US(WE) dated 31 Oct 2012.

(ii) MH & FW OM No 4-24/96-C&P/CGHS/ CGHS (P) dated 31 May 2007.

(iii) MH & FW OM No S 11011/13/2012-CGHS (P) dated 25 Jul 2013.

11.

Minor Children of widowed/ separated daughters

Minor Children of widowed/separated  daughters who are dependent upon the ECHS beneficiary and normally residing with him. Shall be eligible upto the age of 18 years.

(i) MoD ID No 18(17)/2011/US(WE) dated 31 Oct 2012.

(ii) MH & FW OM No 11011/32/2011-CGHS (P) dated 18 Jan 2012.