Unmarried disabled sons eligible for ECHS facilities even after attaining age of 25

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 8

In a relief to ex-servicemen whose disabled sons are dependent on them, the Ministry of Defence has extended medicare facilities under the Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) to such persons even after they have attained the age of 25.

Till now, unmarried permanently disabled and financially dependent sons of ECHS beneficiaries after attaining the age of 25 were not considered dependant and hence were not eligible for availing medical facilities under the ECHS.

This is as per the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) Rules which are followed by ECHS.

On January 1, 2020, the CGHS had that declared such sons of CGHS beneficiaries who have become disabled after attaining the age of 25, are dependent and hence eligible for availing CGHS benefits subject to fulfilment of conditions laid down by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

It has now been decided by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, to similarly treat unmarried permanently disabled and financially dependent sons of ECHS beneficiaries who have become disabled after attaining the age of 25 as dependent and hence eligible for availing benefits under ECHS subject to the same as that applicable to the CGHS, orders issued by the MoD on Wednesday state.

In fact, in February 2018, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had issued directions that members of ECHS whose children are suffering from life-threatening disabilities, should be provided lifetime medical care. The court had then struck down a change in the policy that had withdrawn such benefits and restricted medicare up to 25 years of age.

Keeping in view personal precautions required to be undertaken because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the MoD has also allowed the reimbursement of the cost of one pulse oximeter per family to ECHS beneficiaries.

Measuring of oxygen saturation level is one of the most important parameters for monitoring the health of COVID-19 patients and determining the susceptibility of contracting coronavirus infection.

Under the new policy, ECHS beneficiaries who have tested positive for COVID-19 infection are permitted to purchase one pulse oximeter per family even if there are more than one family members who got infected. The ceiling for reimbursement has been fixed at Rs 1,200.