Increase in CGHS contribution BPS request reconsideration of Subscription under CGHS pre 2016 pensioners
No.SG/BPS/CGHS/17/4
Dated:22-02-2017
Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda
Hon’ble Minister of Health & Family Welfare
Union of India, Nirman Bhawan,
New Delhi - 110 001.
Subject:
Reconsideration
of Rates of Subscription under Central Govt. Health Scheme revised
account of revision of pay & Allowance/Pensions consequent upon
implementation of 7th CPC recommendations.
Reference:
Office Memoranda No.S.11011/11/2016 CGHS(P)/EHS dated: January 1, 2017
and January 13, 2017 of GOI, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare,
EHS section, New Delhi - 110 001.
Sir,
Ministry of Health
& Family Welfare vide their memo-randa referred above has revised
the rates of subscription to CGHS for Central Govt. Employees and
Pensioners effective from February 1, 2017. Bharat Pensioners Samaj, a
Federation of all India central Govt Civil Pensioners Associations
including defence civilians. Postal and Railway having over 650
affiliates/associates, has received numerous representations from
individual members who retired long back and wish to enroll themselves
now under CGHS and also from affiliates on the exorbitant hike in the
subscription rates of availing CGHS facilities.
2. BPS wishes to
draw your attention to the fact that many of the past pensioners did not
join CGHS at the time of their retirement for reason that CGHS had no
facilities in the city chosen by the pensioners for their
post-retirement settlement, mostly at their native places. Sir, you may
be aware that CGHS is available only in 26 cities of India, the latest
inaugurated at Visakhapatnam January 9,2017 by your honour along- with
Shri M Venkaiah Naidu, Hon’ble Minister for Urban Development, Hoursing
& Urban Povetty Alleviation; parliamentary Affairs, UOI. CGHS
facilities in 26 cities is too short a medicare facility for 10.81 lac
Central Govt Pensioners/family pensioners plus 5.55 lax defence civilian
pensioners plus 3.25 lac postal pensioners i.e 19.61 lac of
pensioners/family pensioners scattered throughout the country.
3.
The old pensioners desirous of joining CGHS now, on opening of center at
the place of their residences or their shifting to a place where CGHS
facility is available for some family compulsions, may not find it
financially viable to subscribe at the new rates especially shedding
subscription for ten years to become whole life member effective from
February 1, 2017. Para 5(v) of memo dated January 9,2017, under
refernece, reads, "Any pensioner/Family Pensioner who is entitled to
avail CGHS facility has not so far got his/her pensioner CGHS card made,
the rate of contributions in such cases will be with reference to the
level of pay that he/she would have drawn in the post held by him/her
(at the time of his/her retirement/death) had he/she continued to be in
service now but for his/her retirement/death. Sir, a middle level
pensioner retired in February, 1994 from the pay scale of 3000-4500/-
(level 11) has till now got an increase in his pension to the tune 9.24
times against which his subscription to CGHS now at the new rates
contained in memo of January 9, 2017 is hiked by 108.33 times i.e.
78,000/- now against 720/- subscribed in 1994. An illustration, in
support of this with full calculations, is attached as an annexure and
may kindly be glanced through.
4. Bharat Pensioners Samaj requests
you to come to the rescure of old pensioners and advise the Ministry of
Health & Family Welfare to review the new rates prescribed keeping
in view the financial viability vis-a-vis rising cost of living and not
depriving old pensioners of availing the facility at a stage when it is
made available to them by the GOI. Fixing of subscription for old
pensioners varying with the number of years passed since
retirement/death may please be kept low compared to pensioners retired
in later years.
with regards,
yours truly,
Sd/-
(S C Maheshwari)
SG BPS/Er/ C Rlys.
Enclosure: One
Source: BPS
