Lok Sabha Question No. 3996 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-24
Subject: Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme
Ministry: DEFENCE
Asked by: M V V Satyanarayana, Chinta Anuradha

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

## DEPARTMENT OF EX-SERVICEMEN WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3996

TO BE ANSWERED ON 24 th  March, 2023

## EX-SERVICEMEN CONTRIBUTORY HEALTH SCHEME

## 3996.  SHRI M.V.V. SATYANARAYANA: SHRIMATI CHINTA ANURADHA:

Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to state:

- (a)  the salient features of the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS);
- (b)    the  number  of  beneficiaries  who  availed  services  through  ECHS  during  the  last  three years;
- (c)    the  amount  incurred  by  the  Department  of  Ex-Servicemen  Welfare under the Scheme; and
- (d)  the details of the hospitals empanelled under ECHS across the country, State/UT-wise and district wise including Andhra Pradesh?

| A N S W E R   | (SHRI AJAY BHATT)   |
|---------------|---------------------|

(a):  The Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) was launched in April 2003 to provide  quality  medical  care  to  the  Ex-servicemen  (ESM)  and  their  dependents.  It  has  30 Regional Centres (RC) and 433 Polyclinics (PC) pan India including 06 in Nepal and 3158 empanelled medical facilities with a total beneficiary base of approximately 55 lakhs. It is structured on the lines of Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) to provide cashless and capless medical treatment cover at CGHS rates.

The scheme entitles all ESM drawing pension from Controller of Defence Accounts, including those in receipt of Disability/ Family Pension and their dependents to be eligible for membership.  Membership  has  been  made  compulsory  for  all  pensioners  with  effect  from 1 st April, 2003 and is optional for earlier retirees. Over the years, the ECHS membership has been  extended  to  pensioners  of  Territorial  Army  (TA),  Defence  Security  Corps  (DSC), Uniformed  Indian  Coast  Guard  (ICG),  Military  Nursing  Service  (MNS),  Special  Frontier Force (SFF),  Nepal Domiciled Gorkha (NDG), Whole time NCC Officers, Eligible Army Postal  Service  (APS)  pensioners,  Assam Rifles  pensioners, World  War  (WW) II Veterans, Short Service Commission Officers (SSCOs), Emergency Commissioned Officers (ECOs) & Pre-Mature Retirees.

The amount of contribution for becoming an ECHS member varies from Rs. 30,000/ for recruit to Rs. 1,20,000/ for Officers. The ESM who have retired prior to 1 st January 1996, war  widows  and  war  disabled  including  those  disabled  in  internal  security  duties,  are exempted from payment of ECHS contribution.

- (b):  A total of 3,35,62,481 beneficiaries availed services through ECHS during the last three years: -
- (c):    The  amount  spent  under  the  scheme  during  last  three  Financial  Years  (FY)  is  given below:-
- (d):  Details as per Annexure.

| Sl. No.   |   Calendar Year | Number of Beneficiaries Footfall   |
|-----------|-----------------|------------------------------------|
| (i)       |            2020 | 58,80,023                          |
| (ii)      |            2021 | 1,23,81,583                        |
| (iii)     |            2022 | 1,53,00,875                        |

| FY                       |   Expenditure in Rs. Crores |
|--------------------------|-----------------------------|
| 2020-21                  |                     4579.63 |
| 2021-22                  |                     4864.66 |
| 2022-23 (upto15.03.2023) |                     4897.64 |

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## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (d)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3996 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.03.2023 REGARDING 'EX-SERVICEMEN CONTRIBUTORY HEALTH SCHEME'.

THE DETAILS OF THE HOSPITALS EMPANELLED UNDER ECHS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, STATE/UT-WISE AND DISTRICT-WISE INCLUDING ANDHRA PRADESH

| Sl. No.   | State/UT         | Number of Empanelled Medical Facilities   | Number of Empanelled Medical Facilities   |
|-----------|------------------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
| 1.        | Andhra Pradesh   |                                           | 67*                                       |
| 2.        | Assam            |                                           | 22                                        |
| 3.        | Bihar            |                                           | 40                                        |
| 4.        | Chandigarh       |                                           | 39                                        |
| 5.        | Chhattisgarh     |                                           | 16                                        |
| 6.        | Delhi            |                                           | 274                                       |
| 7.        | Goa              |                                           | 04                                        |
| 8.        | Gujarat          |                                           | 72                                        |
| 9.        | Haryana          |                                           | 368                                       |
| 10.       | Himachal Pradesh |                                           | 50                                        |
| 11.       | Jammu            |                                           | 25                                        |
| 12.       | Jharkhand        |                                           | 23                                        |
| 13.       | Karnataka        |                                           | 133                                       |
| 14.       | Kerala           |                                           | 158                                       |
| 15.       | Madhya Pradesh   |                                           | 97                                        |
| 16.       | Maharashtra      |                                           | 364                                       |
| 17.       | Manipur          |                                           | 03                                        |
|           | Meghalaya        | 18.                                       | 04                                        |
| 19        | Mizoram          |                                           | 05                                        |
| 20.       | Nagaland         |                                           | 01                                        |
| 21.       | Nepal            |                                           | 16                                        |
| 22.       | Orrisa           |                                           | 33                                        |
| 23.       | Pondicherry      |                                           | 04                                        |
| 24.       | Punjab           |                                           | 338                                       |
| 25.       | Rajasthan        |                                           | 259                                       |
| 26.       | Sikkim           |                                           | 01                                        |
| 27.       | Tamil Nadu       |                                           | 167                                       |
| 28.       | Telangana        |                                           | 39                                        |
| 29.       | Tripura          |                                           | 05                                        |
| 30.       | Uttar Pradesh    |                                           | 388                                       |
| 31.       | Uttarakhand      |                                           | 68                                        |
| 32.       | West Bengal      |                                           | 75                                        |
| Total     | Total            |                                           | 3158                                      |

*  ANDHRA PRADESH (DISTRICT WISE) BREAKDOWN

| Sl. No.   | Number of Empanelled Medical Facilities   |   Number of Empanelled Medical Facilities |
|-----------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
| 1.        | Krishna                                   |                                        10 |
| 2.        | Anantapuram                               |                                        02 |
| 3.        | Chittor                                   |                                        05 |
| 4.        | Eluru                                     |                                        01 |
| 5.        | West Godavari                             |                                        03 |
| 6.        | Guntur                                    |                                        10 |
| 7.        | Prakashnam                                |                                        01 |
|           | 8. Kurnool                                |                                        01 |
| 9.        | Nellore                                   |                                        02 |
| 10.       | Kadapa                                    |                                        02 |
| 11.       | Visakhapatnam                             |                                        16 |
| 12.       | East Godavari                             |                                        06 |
| 13.       | Srikakullam                               |                                        03 |
| 14.       | Karimnagar                                |                                        01 |
| 15.       | Khamman                                   |                                        01 |
| 16.       | Kakinada                                  |                                        03 |
| Total     | Total                                     |                                        67 |

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