CHANGE IN PROCEDURE OF REFERREL FOR NON ENTETILED BENEFICIARIES

Change in Procedure of referral of non-entitled beneficiary – ECHS Order dated 22-04-2022.  Ex-Servicemen (ESM) and their dependents requiring hospital admission will in normal course be referred to AFMS hospitals in the station.

Central Organisation ECHS
Adjutant Generals Branch
Integrated Headquarters
Ministry of Defence (Army)
Thimayya Marg
Near Gopinath Circle
Delhi Cantt -110010

B/49769/AG/ECHS

22 Apr 2022

All RCs

CHANGE IN PROCEDURE OF REFERRAL OF NON ENTITLED BENEFICIARY

1. Please refer :-

(a) Govt of India, Ministry of Defence letter No 24(8)/US/(WE)/D(Res) dated 19 Dec 2003.
(b) GOI (MoD) letter No 22D(09)/2013/US(WE)/D (Res) dated 26 Jul 2016.
(c) O/lo DGAFMS letter No 16301/18(C)/ESM DGAFMS/DG-3A dated 04 Jun 2019.

2. According to Para 2 of the Govt of India, Ministry of Defence letter No 24(8)/US/(WE)/D(Res) dated 19 Dec 2003, all Ex-Servicemen (ESM) and their dependents requiring hospital admission will in normal course be referred to AFMS hospitals in the station. For this purpose DGAFMS will earmark a suitable number of beds in all AFMS hospitals for ECHS beneficiaries. In case of non-availability of bed/ facilities in AFMS hospitals, patients will be referred to empanelled hospital for admission. The same letter vide para 4(f) states that “Hospital Stoppage Rolls(HSR) and any other charges expended for treatment in Military Hospital will be paid in full by the member and is not reimbursable.

3. According to O/o DGAFMS letter No 16301/18(C)/ESM DGAFMS/DG-3A dated 04 Jun 2019 the AFMS hospital recognizes only the veteran, his spouse and children below the age of 25 years as dependents. However, according to ECHS rules dependent status is also given to eligible parents, brothers /sister, PWD 2016 beneficiaries above the age of 25 yrs . This creates an anomalous situation when entitled ECHS beneficiaries are treated as non-entitled in AFMS hospital where HSR and other charges paid by them is not reimbursable as per extant orders.

4, In view of the above and contents of O/o DGAFMS letter No 16301/18(C)/ESM DGAFMS/DG-3A dated 04 Jun 2019, non entitled ECHS beneficiaries may be directly referred to empanelled hospital/ Govt hospital. ECHS beneficiaries entitled for treatment in AFMS hospitals will continue to be referred to the AFMS hospitals.

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