Unmarried disabled sons of ECHS beneficiaries eligible for medicare facilities even after 25 yrs age

In a relief to the members of the Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), now the sons who are unmarried and disabled can avail the facilities even after attaining 25 years.

New Delhi:The defence ministry on Wednesday decided that unmarried permanently disabled and financially dependent sons of Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) beneficiaries will be entitled to medical benefits even after they have attained 25 years of age.

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

The decision is as per the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) Rules which are followed by the ECHS, a defence ministry statement said.

The statement citing a January 1 order said the CGHS had declared such sons of CGHS beneficiaries who have become disabled after attaining the age of 25 years, dependant and hence eligible for availing medical benefits subject to fulfillment of conditions laid down in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare office memorandum dated May 5, 2018.

It has now been decided by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (DESW), to similarly treat unmarried permanently disabled and financially dependent sons of ECHS beneficiaries who have become disabled after attaining the age of 25 years as dependent, the statement said.

They will now be eligible for availing benefits under the ECHS, subject to fulfillment of conditions laid down in the health ministry office memorandum in 2018, it said.

The unmarried permanently disabled and financially dependent sons of ECHS beneficiaries will also be able to avail benefits after 25 years, as per conditions laid down in the memorandum, sources said.PTI