This integrated scheme of health insurance provides comprehensive medical cover and cash benefits in the contingencies of sickness, maternity, disablement, and death due to employment injury to the Insured Persons and their dependents. The existing wage limit for coverage under the Act is Rs. 15,000/- per month (w.e.f. 01/05/2010).
Social Security Benefits Under Section 46
The section 46 of the Act envisages the following six social security benefits:
(a) Medical Benefit
(b) Sickness Benefit (SB)
(c) Maternity Benefit (MB)
(d) Disablement Benefit
(e) Dependants' Benefit (DB)
(f) Other Benefits
- Funeral Expenses
- Confinement Expenses
In addition, the scheme also provides some other need-based benefits to insured workers.
- Vocational Rehabilitation: To permanently disabled Insured Person for undergoing VR Training at VRS.
- Physical Rehabilitation: In case of physical disablement due to employment injury.
- Old Age Medical Care: For Insured Person retiring on attaining the age of superannuation or under VRS/ERS and person having to leave service due to permanent disability insured person & spouse on payment of Rs. 120/- per annum.
- Rajiv Gandhi Shramik Kalyan Yojana: This scheme of Unemployment allowance was introduced w.e.f. 01-04-2005. An Insured Person who becomes unemployed after being insured for three or more years, due to closure of factory/establishment, retrenchment, or permanent invalidity is entitled to:
* Unemployment Allowance equal to 50% of wage for a maximum period of up to one year.
* Medical care for self and family from ESI Hospitals/Dispensaries during the period IP receives unemployment allowance.
* Vocational Training provided for upgrading skills - Expenditure on fee/traveling allowance borne by ESIC.
When it is so beneficial to the employees, why should there be a wage limit, and why are all the employees not covered? Many employees of the organized sector are losing these various benefits under the ESI Act due to the wage ceiling for coverage.
It is advisable to cover all the employees compulsorily by limiting the contributions to the wage ceiling that is fixed from time to time to improve the scheme and to extend the coverage to all the employees where the ESI Act is applicable.
Social Security Benefits Under Section 46
The section 46 of the Act envisages the following six social security benefits:
(a) Medical Benefit
(b) Sickness Benefit (SB)
(c) Maternity Benefit (MB)
(d) Disablement Benefit
(e) Dependants' Benefit (DB)
(f) Other Benefits
- Funeral Expenses
- Confinement Expenses
In addition, the scheme also provides some other need-based benefits to insured workers.
- Vocational Rehabilitation: To permanently disabled Insured Person for undergoing VR Training at VRS.
- Physical Rehabilitation: In case of physical disablement due to employment injury.
- Old Age Medical Care: For Insured Person retiring on attaining the age of superannuation or under VRS/ERS and person having to leave service due to permanent disability insured person & spouse on payment of Rs. 120/- per annum.
- Rajiv Gandhi Shramik Kalyan Yojana: This scheme of Unemployment allowance was introduced w.e.f. 01-04-2005. An Insured Person who becomes unemployed after being insured for three or more years, due to closure of factory/establishment, retrenchment, or permanent invalidity is entitled to:
* Unemployment Allowance equal to 50% of wage for a maximum period of up to one year.
* Medical care for self and family from ESI Hospitals/Dispensaries during the period IP receives unemployment allowance.
* Vocational Training provided for upgrading skills - Expenditure on fee/traveling allowance borne by ESIC.
When it is so beneficial to the employees, why should there be a wage limit, and why are all the employees not covered? Many employees of the organized sector are losing these various benefits under the ESI Act due to the wage ceiling for coverage.
It is advisable to cover all the employees compulsorily by limiting the contributions to the wage ceiling that is fixed from time to time to improve the scheme and to extend the coverage to all the employees where the ESI Act is applicable.