GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
Ministry of Defence
DEPARTMENT OF EX-SERVICEN WELFARE

RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.959
ANSWERED ON AUGUST 14, 2013 

QUESTION
Funds Allocated / Utilised for Echs 

959. SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR:

Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to state;

(a)   The year-wise details of funds allocated and the amount spent by Government for the Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) for the last five years;

(b)   whether it is u fact that several empanelled hospitals have stopped providing services under ECHS due to unpaid dues; and

(c)    if so the details thereof and the steps Government proposes to take to ensure that these dues are cleared  at the earliest

ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTIRY OF DEFENCE
(SHRI JITENDRA SINGH)

(a): The funds allocated to ECHS during last five years and the amount spent year-wise is as follows:

(b) & (c): Some empanelled hospitals have withdrawn their services to ECHS due to delay in payment of their dues on time. Prior to 1st April 2012 processing and payment of all the empanelled hospital bills was done manually through the Station Commanders and Senior Executive Medical Officers (SEMO) of Military Hospitals. Since no additional staff was authorized for the above task, the processing of bills was slow and resulted in delays in payment of hospital bills. As a measure towards expediting processing and payment of bills, On-line processing of empanelled hospitals’ bills has commenced w.e.f 1st April 2012 and the same has been implemented in 10 Regional Centers out of 28 Regional centers so far.