I would like to address some myths floating around on the new ECHS contribution rates.
All ECHS members would have to pay the difference between the amount already paid and the new rates.
Totally false. The new contribution rates are only for fresh members and not for existing members.
Civilian pensioners do not have to pay any contribution for becoming members of the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS)
Another factually incorrect input being propagated by vested interests. Civilian members of CGHS are paying exactly the same lifetime contribution.
The hike is too steep.
Think about it this way - It is only about a month’s pay for free medical care for you and your dependants for the rest of your life. The amount is peanuts in this age and time. Please expect a fresh hike after every pay commission.
The rates should be the same for all ranks and senior ranks should not be made to pay more.
The same rates are applicable in other Central Services who also have a graded payment structure like the defence services. Moreover, please do not forget that even ethically speaking the officer class should pay more because of higher pay and pension rates, and also because better facilities such as private rooms are being provided to officers.
The negative propaganda directed towards the new rates of ECHS is definitely uncalled for in my humble opinion.
All ECHS members would have to pay the difference between the amount already paid and the new rates.
Totally false. The new contribution rates are only for fresh members and not for existing members.
Civilian pensioners do not have to pay any contribution for becoming members of the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS)
Another factually incorrect input being propagated by vested interests. Civilian members of CGHS are paying exactly the same lifetime contribution.
The hike is too steep.
Think about it this way - It is only about a month’s pay for free medical care for you and your dependants for the rest of your life. The amount is peanuts in this age and time. Please expect a fresh hike after every pay commission.
The rates should be the same for all ranks and senior ranks should not be made to pay more.
The same rates are applicable in other Central Services who also have a graded payment structure like the defence services. Moreover, please do not forget that even ethically speaking the officer class should pay more because of higher pay and pension rates, and also because better facilities such as private rooms are being provided to officers.
The negative propaganda directed towards the new rates of ECHS is definitely uncalled for in my humble opinion.
18 comments:
I am an Officer and still serving. Here I support Navdeep for clarification No 4. Simply b'coz when it is for taking home we expect more, then why should we shy away from sharing in the same proportion.
Secondly when the new pensioners are getting more than our elders then why should we expect vetrans to pay the difference.
Very good sir. It is now clarified that the hike is for the new enterance only. Also it seems thet there will be no recovery from 1-6-2009 for the existing members who had joined after 1-6-2009 till the new order is issued.
Thank you sir.
Sgt.S.kanthiah
Exweltrust, Tirunelveli-Dist, Tamil Nadu.
Dear Veterans,
Revised rates of ECHS are,in fact,
well justified as Navdeep said. I hope my friend ,Ninihala,must have understood the logic behind the new rates.
Does a SSC commissioned officer with 20% disability released after terms of service get any disability pension?
Of Course, an SS Offr released after terms of engagement gets disability pension including service element.
Navdeep
I am a veteran ECHS Member staying in Mumbai Suburbs. The nearest full fledged ECHS Poly clinic is in Ashwani Colaba. I rarely get to reach and avail facilities because of time and distance. The ECHS approved hospitals next door to my residence are only on paper as the MOs at the ECHS seem to have internal directions of not referrring patients to keep their budgets down.
Now - As I am aware of large community of such ailing patients who prefer to pay and get treated at next door Well known hospitals - what use is ECHS....
There should be regular quarterly system of addressing Individual complaints - may be through Web and streamlining logistics involved. As age catches up - it is impossible to get benign services from ECHS...
Dear Sir,
May I again request you to put the notification on the net. It would help to clear most doubts and also provide a concrete authority for the increase.
@Maj Navdeep-Thank you for clarifying post 4.What does 20% disability pension translate into w.r.t basic pay?Are they related?
I get every month around 300 rupees of medicine being a chronic diabetic through ECHS..I have told the MO of ECHS that i am ready to pay a monthly amount of 500/ for life which she can use to augment the ECHS facilities.A very small gesture but i do feel better after doing it.I have also paid double the initial amount of 18000/.We can help the system greatly if we contribute in our own little ways.
@Anonymous @ 9.23 am
You are absolutely correct..Medical Officers working at ECHS polyclinics have been given clear cut orders that patients are not to be referred immediately to Private Hospitals. This instruction was received from ECHS Central Org as far back as 2007.
What we have been ordered to do is to refer all patients to the concerned service specialist first.. and only if he opines that service facilities are not available can the patient be referred to a private hospital.
Since INHS Ashvini is a fully staffed and equipped hospital, your chances of being referred out are low..unless the head honcho (remember Admiral VK Singh anyone ;-)) gives summary orders not to entertain veterans..."and to let them take their chances in the Civil"!
One way of getting around this is to select your private hospital first.. then keep an eye on the service specialist...the day he goes on leave, either land up at the polyclinic and demand immediate attention (they will have to refer you out since service spl is not available) or get admitted in the private facility as an "emergency". (Remember that you have to inform the OIC Polyclinic within 24 hours if you directly get admitted though..)
Show me the rule...and I can show you the loopholes...!
Maj Navdeep,you must answer important issues like delay in the payment of rank pay etc in the chatroll.
Why is the Hon Supreme Court mixing up the rank pay case with separate pay commission and delaying the payments which are overdue with 6% interest,as ordered ?
Only experts like you can answer this question and suggest further action.
Can we expect a reply from you in the chatroll ?
Can't comment about Mumbai scene. But in Delhi & NCR, most of the ECHS patients are being referred to private hospitals except a couple of specialities like Ophthalmology, Cardiology.
And the ex-servicemen just can't stop complaining about being referred to these hospitals. All of them want to be treated at service hospitals since they have seen the practices of private hospitals. But there are clear orders to refer ECHS patients to the empanelled hospitals in most of the specialities.
Maj Navdeep has rightly brought out that in this age the ECHS subscription amount is peanuts considering the benefits which are entitled to self and extended family. CGHS beneficiaries do not include the retired person's parents which are included in ECHS beneficiaries.
Maj Navdeep, Is there any new info about SSCOs becoming eligible for ECHS.
i am an retired LT COL,who left army on 03 oct 2008,but i recieved my ppo only in apr2011.in my ppo,my contributiontowards echs was,Rs 60000/,i just want to clarify that due to negligence of auth,if the ppo gets delayed,still i pay for no fault of mine. as per new echs revised rates,they are applicable from 01/06 /2009 and i retired on 03/10/2008
Sir,
As I understood as per the revised ECHS contribution for pre 1995 retirees, the rate of contribution is based on the rank last held in service. But in many cases, who retired with less service on volunteer retirement or medical ground are getting less pension than a lower rank retiree who retired after full filling the service.In this case is it fare to fix the contribution rate on rank ?. I am referring a case of Nb sub and Hav.
With regards
An Ex Sub Maj
Dear Sir
I am ex-naval personal retired on 31st March 2003 from the rank of CPO,whose last gross pay was Rs.10455. Today I get pension of Rs.10400. How can I afford to pay Rs.27000 for becoming ECHS member.
It is learnt that SSCO are entitled medical facilities now, as per the following letter:
ENTITLEMENT TO MED ATTENDANCE FROM AFMS: EXSM
Letter of IHQ MOD/Arms/DGMS
B/76782/DGMS-5 (B)
DATED 10 DEC 2010
It will be a great help if anyone has got a copy of this letter, which will help understand the entitlement, and can share in this forum for benefit of all concerned
J Pant
@Maj Navdeep
Are the SS Officers opting out after 05 years of service authorised for ECHS? Is any litigation pending before the SC in this regard? Your clarification would be of great help as I am planning to file a WP before the H.C .
Adv. Rishi Tiwari
Ex Army Officer
9826949222
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