Lok Sabha Question No. 818 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-07
Subject: ECHS Empanelled Hospitals in Kannur
Ministry: DEFENCE
Asked by: Shri K Sudhakaran

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DEFENCE DEPARTMENT OF EX-SERVICEMEN WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 818

TO BE ANSWERED ON 07 th  February, 2025

## ECHS EMPANELLED HOSPITALS IN KANNUR

818. SHRI K SUDHAKARAN:

Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  issue  raised  by  the  Hon'ble  MP from  Kannur regarding  the  refusal  of  Thalassery  Cooperative  Hospital  to  renew  its  Memorandum  of Agreement with the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS);
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken by the Government to address this critical issue affecting hundreds of veterans in the region;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  ensure  the  settlement  of  outstanding  payments, amounting to over 1 crore to empanelled hospitals within a stipulated timeframe and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has any proposal to revise the ECHS/CGHS rates to align them with current market rates; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof along with the measures being taken by the Government to ensure that  veterans  are  not  forced  to  pay  out  of  pocket  for  medical  treatment  due  to  a  lack  of empanelled hospitals?

## A  N  S  W  E  R

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

(SHRI SANJAY SETH)

(a) & (b): The Memorandum of Agreement of Thalassery Cooperative Hospital with the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) has been renewed with effect from 22.01.2025 and will remain valid till 21.01.2027.

- (c):  Settlement of outstanding payments of empanelled hospitals is a continuous process. Under  ECHS,  Hospital  claims  are  settled  through  an  online  Bills  Processing  Portal  by respective Regional Centres after obtaining approval of the Competent Financial Authority. Each  hospital  has  visibility  of  the  status  of  their  claims  on  the  portal.  Bills  raised  and complete in all respects are settled in a time bound manner.
- (d): ECHS follows the CGHS rates of services of Hospitals and accordingly revises its rates whenever the rates in CGHS are revised.

(e): Adequate number of Health Care Organisations including private hospitals have been empanelled so that the veterans and their dependents can easily avail cashless healthcare services through these empanelled hospitals. The number of Hospitals empanelled in ECHS scheme has shown an increasing trend over the last few years as per the following data:

| Health Care Organisations (HCOs)   | Number of HCOs Year wise   | Number of HCOs Year wise   | Number of HCOs Year wise   | Number of HCOs Year wise   |
|------------------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|
| Health Care Organisations (HCOs)   | Year - 2021                | Year - 2022                | Year - 2023                | Year - 2024                |
| Hospitals                          | 1487                       | 1609                       | 1736                       | 1858                       |
| Eye Centres                        | 326                        | 389                        | 461                        | 512                        |
| Dental Clinics                     | 143                        | 162                        | 181                        | 206                        |
| Labs and others                    | 93                         | 97                         | 113                        | 121                        |
| Total                              | 2049                       | 2257                       | 2491                       | 2697                       |

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