medical Assistance from Welfare fund

The Officers working in various Officers under Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) should be aware of the medical assistance which can be sanctioned from Customs and Central Excise Welfare Fund.  This Scheme is available for the Officers and staff working under CBEC for claimingfinancial assistance for Medical expenses. 

This scheme can be used for claiming the amounts that have been spent by the Officer but either rejected by the Department for settlement, or the portion amount which was not sanctioned out of total expenditure. 

The sanction of such financial assistance is made from “Customs and Central Excise Welfare Fund”.  The Officers are requested to furnish the request within 3 months from the date of settlement of his claim under Medical Attendance Rules or CGHS Rules.  However, in exceptional cases, request can be forwarded even after the prescribed limit, after explaining reasons for delay in submission.  

There are minimum amount of financial assistance fixed for various Category of Officers, which is Rs. 10,000 for Group A Officers, Rs. 5,000 for group B Officers, Rs. 3,000 for Group C Officers, Rs. 1,000 for group D Officers.

Financial assistance is admissible only to the Officer/staff, his/her unemployed spouse and dependent children.  This Scheme  is NOT admissible to other dependents, including dependent parents. 

There are ceiling Limits for maximum financial assistance in a career of an Officer –  In case of dependent children and spouse(unemployed), the Officer/staff is entitled to financial assistancewith an overall cap of Rs. 7.5 Lakhs in the entire career.  However, there is no limit on the amount of financial assistance for departmental officials.

Assistance for expenses on maternity/termination of pregnancy is not admissible under this scheme  to Officer /staff having more than two surviving children.

No financial assistance is admissible to Retired Officers.

This scheme imposes certain mandatory reductions on room charges and sundry expenses.  For full details, refer to the detailed guidelines.

                There are ceiling on Room charges for in patient treatment as follows :

Category	Type of Room	Rent per day
Group ‘A”	Single Room	Rs. 4,500/-
Group ‘B”	Twin sharing	Rs. 3,000/-
Group ‘C’ and ’D’	Multi bed/ general ward	Rs. 1,500/-
All Categories	ICU	Actuals

                Detailed procedure for submission of proposals, method of scrutiny, recommendation and forwarding to the advisory committee administering the Welfare fund, checklists for processing the claims, are given as follows.  You can download the same as pdf file by using the following link.

Download Rules and Regulations for Medical Assistance from Welfare Fund of CBEC

TEXT OF PROCEDURES FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE UNDER WELFARE SCHEME FOR STAFF UNDER CENTRAL BOARD OF EXCISE AND CUSTOMS

GUIDELINES FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR MEDICAL EXPENSES :

CONSOLIDATED GUIDELINES :

(i)  Admissible Financial Assistance

Financial assistance shall be admissible for portion of expenses on treatment which are non reimbursable under the CS(MA)/CGHS Rules.

(ii) Time Limit for submission of proposal

• The Individual has to request within 3 months of settlement  of claims when part of the claim is settled under CS(MA)/CGHS Rules.  The Commissioners/HODs should forward the proposal within a period of one month of receipt of the request.
• The time limit for requesting for financial assistance by the individual  and for forwarding  the proposal by the Commissioner should be strictly observed.
• Proposal submitted after the prescribed time limit :  Reasons for delay in submission of proposal by the applicant/Commissionerate should be given.

(iii)  For continuous treatment :

In cases of continuous treatment only one time financial assistance should be considered and normally no subsequent request should be entertained unless thee are extreme compassionate grounds.

(iv)  Minimum amount for Financial Assistance :

The following minimum amounts of financial assistance to be proposed for sanction have been fixed :

Group ‘A”	Rs. 10,000/-	Group ‘C’	Rs. 3,000/-
Group ‘B”	Rs.   5,000/-	Group ‘D’	Rs. 1,000/-

(v)  Coverage of Financial assistance :

Financial assistance is admissible only to the Officer/staff, his/her unemployed spouse and dependent children.  No Financial Assistance is admissible to dependents, including dependent parents. 

(vi)  Ceiling on amount of Financial Assistance.

 In case of dependent children and spouse(unemployed), the Officer/staff is entitled to financial assistance with an overall cap of Rs. 7.5 Lakhs in the entire career.  However, there is no limit on the amount of financial assistance for departmental officials.

To monitor the maximum overall cap of Rs. 7.5 Lakh for the treatment of dependent children and spouse (unemployed) of the Officials, the following procedure should be followed.

1.  Entries in the Service Book of the Officer/staff of the financial assistance for medical expenses from the Welfare fund are required to be made.  To computerize/monitor the details by the Directorate of Logistics, the Commissioner, while forwarding the proposal shall certify that the name of the officer is as per the Service Book and also give details regarding change of name, if any,
2. The Commissioner while forwarding the requests of financial assistance for medical expensesshall send the details of financial assistance hitherto granted to the Officer/staff in his entire career as per the Service Book and details of proposals in respect of that Officer if any pending with the Directorate.  The commissioner should also enclose certificate to this Effect from the Officer/ Staff in the proforma given at Annexure III.

(vii) Expenses on maternity/termination of pregnancy in emergencies would not be admissible to Officer/staff having more than two surviving children.

(viii) No financial assistance is admissible to retired Officers/staff.

(ix)  Mandatory deductions :

On Room Charges :

1. 25 % of the non reimbursable room charges are deducted in cases when room charges are shown separately.
2. In caes of reimbursement under package deal (room charges are included in the package rates), a sum of Rs. 500/- per day is deducted.

On Sundry charges :-

Full deduction on sundry expenses.

Overall Deduction : After deduction, on account of the non reimbursement room charges and sundry charges a further deduction of 25 % of the remaining non reimbursement expenses is made to arrive at the final amount admissible for financial assistance from the welfare fund.

(x)  Waiver of deductions :-  There will be full waiver of the amount an account of mandatory deduction in the following cases :-

(a)   illness or accidents resulting in death of the Official
(b) illness or accidents resulting in serious physical or mental infirmity, which incapacitates the official for further service.
(c)  A partial bodily or mental infirmity or handicap like loss of vision/hearing/limbs.  In such cases, a minimum physical handi9cap to the extent prescribed for qualifying a person for consideration for employment under PH Quota, may justify the waiver.

(xi) Ceiling on Room charges :  the ceiling on room charges (category-wise) have been fixed as given below for grant of financial assistance :

Category	Type of Room	Rent per day
Group ‘A”	Single Room	Rs. 4,500/-
Group ‘B”	Twin sharing	Rs. 3,000/-
Group ‘C’ and ’D’	Multi bed/ general ward	Rs. 1,500/-
All Categories	ICU	Actuals

(xii)  Submission of proposal

1.  Certificates in the prescribed proforma, duly certified by the Commissioner/HOD should accompany the proposal  showing break up of amount spent, amount reimbursed and amount non reimbursable category wise (cost of treatment etc., room charges and sundry charges).
2. Each proposal should be scrutinized and recommended by the Advisory Committee, headed by Commissioner/Director and having one representative each from Group ‘A’ to ‘D’ Officials, before it is sent to the Directorate of Logistics.  The proposals received without recommendation of the Advisory Committee would not be placed before the governing body.

1. Checklist for sending proposals

Photocopies of the requisite documents as listed in the check list should be enclosed with the proposal.

CERTIFICATE

(  to be submitted with the proposal for grant of Financial Assistance on non reimbursable medical claims)

1. Certified that the proposal for financial assistance has been recommended by the Advisory Committee constituted in this office for this purpose.
2. Certified that a sum of Rs. ————– has been earlier sanctioned to the individual as Financial Assistance from the Welfare Fund for medical expenses for spouse and dependent children and the details thereof have been entered in the individual's service book. Further, ————- number of proposals of Financial Assistance are pending (give details) with Directorate of Logistics.
Note : The amount of financial assistance to staff/employee should not be included in above certificate 
3. Certified that the name of the officer is as per the service book (in case of change of name, details may be given.)
4. Certified that the number of surviving children are less then two.
   Note: This certificates required only in cases of grant of Financial Assistance on the non reimbursable expenses on the maternity expenses or termination of pregnancy. 
5. Certified that the spouse of employee/officer is non working.

Note : This certificate is required only where financial assistance is sought for medical expenses of spouse.
6. Details of medical expenses reimbursed and not reimbursed are as under :

No. of days for which room rent paid for stay in other than ICU/CCU

Details of the Claims	Total Amount Spent	Amount reimbursed as per CS(MA) rules	Amount Non-Admissible
Cost of treatment (Doctor's fees, Medicines, Test, Procedure etc.
ICU/CCU charges
Room Charges other than ICU/CCU
Sundry Charges (Viz Telephone bills, guest room charges, food, conveyance, diet, Ambulance etc.)
Total

Signature of Commissioner/
Head of the Department 
Name

CHECKLIST FOR PROPOSALS FOR GRANT OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
OF EXPENSES ON TREATMENT :

CHECK THAT :

1. Copy of request letter of the applicant is enclosed
2. Claim has been settled under CS(MA)/CGHS Rules.  Copy of sanction order/sanction for reimbursement of medical claim under CS(MA)/CGHS Rules has been enclosed.
3. Copy of bills/vouchers of medical expenses submitted with the medical claim have been enclosed.
4. Proposals has been submitted within prescribed time limit.
5. In case of proposals submitted after the prescribed time limits, justification for condonation of delay have been given.
6. The following certificates are required in annexure III have been furnished.

• Advisory Committee recommendation.
• In case financial assistance is sought for medical expenditure incurred on dependent children and spouse, amount of financial assistance received by the applicant earlier from the Welfare Fund for the medical expenses incurred in treatment of dependents.
• In case financial assistance is sought for medical expenditure incurred on treatment of  spouse, a certificate that the spouse of employee/Officer is not working any State/Central Govt, Banks, PSUs, Private Organisations or is self employed etc.
• In case financial assistance is sought for medical expenditure incurred on child birth, certificate that the number of surviving children is not more than two.