In a recent gathering held in New Delhi, the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) made a significant decision to extend medical benefits to retiring insured individuals with a more lenient approach. This pivotal resolution took shape during the 193rd meeting of ESIC, presided over by Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, as conveyed in an official statement from the labor ministry.
The ESIC greenlit a proposition aiming to confer medical benefits upon insured employees reaching retirement age, who had surpassed the ESI Scheme’s coverage limit. Notably, this provision applies to those workers engaged in insurable employment for a minimum of 5 years before their superannuation or voluntary retirement, the statement elucidated.
Under this novel initiative, individuals having sustained insurable employment for at least 5 years after April 1, 2012, and retiring on or after April 1, 2017, with monthly wages up to Rs 30,000, stand to benefit. In a concerted effort to enhance service delivery in the North-Eastern states, aligning with the Act East Policy, ESIC relaxed existing norms concerning the establishment of dispensaries, medical infrastructure, and regional/sub-regional offices in the NE states, including Sikkim.
Aiming for the comprehensive well-being of ESI beneficiaries, a recently adopted policy on AYUSH 2023 outlines the establishment of Panchkarma, Kshara Sutra, and AYUSH units within ESIC institutions. Within the same meeting, in a bid to fortify the medical care infrastructure, the approval for land acquisition for the construction of 100-bed hospitals each in Udupi, Karnataka; Idukki, Kerala; and a 150-bed hospital in Malerkotla, Punjab, was granted.
The ESIC further extended concessions and facilities for non-IPs (insured persons) to access ESI healthcare services at no user charges at ESIC medical colleges and hospitals in Alwar, Rajasthan, and Bihta, Bihar until March 31, 2025. The Revised Estimates 2023-24, Budget Estimates 2024-25, and Performance Budget 2024-25 of ESIC received unanimous approval during the meeting.
Yadav, addressing the assembly, acknowledged the overall enhancement in ESIC’s service delivery mechanism, emphasizing capacity building, widespread renovation, and construction of medical infrastructure nationwide, coupled with the adoption of robust policies. He stressed the perpetual need to fortify the efforts directed at extending social security benefits to the nation’s vulnerable workforce.
Labor Secretary Arti Ahuja proposed the formulation of a standardized plan for disbursing cash benefits, medical benefits, and construction management, aiming at an elevated level of service delivery. On the same occasion, Yadav unveiled a book outlining HR norms within ESIC.