RELHS 97 Reopened

Railway Board Letter No
2003/H/28/1/RELHS dated 10-1-07
Date
Circular Subject
Re-opening of Retired Employees Liberalised Health Scheme (RELHS-97)
Ref
Board’s letters No. 2003/H/28/1/RELHS dated 28-1-05, 21-10-05, 30-12-05 and 10-5-06

 Arising out of demands made by AIRF, NFIR, many individuals and Associations of Pensioners etc. the subject of extension/re-opening of the Retired Employees Liberalised Health Scheme (RELHS-97), for those retired employees who have not joined the RELHS-97 scheme earlier, has been under consideration of the Board for some time.  After careful examination of the matter it has been decided that all retired Railway employees, having qualifying service period and who have not joined the RELHS-97 scheme earlier, will be given another last and final chance to join RELHS-97.

 

            The period during which the scheme has been made open is from the date of issue of this letter and upto 31.12.07 (Thirty first December two thousand seven only).

 

            The scheme has been approved by Railway Board with a special condition that there will be a “lock in” period of six months from the date on which a retired employee joins the scheme i.e. the date of depositing the fees.  During this period the retired employee will be provided medical treatment as available in Railway hospitals and other Govt. hospitals including Govt. owned autonomous hospitals and Govt. medical college hospitals only.  They will not be referred to private hospitals, which are recognised for Railway employees and other RELHS cardholders.  In any circumstances and in any medical condition, during the “lock in” period, reimbursement of medical claims for treatment taken in private hospitals including the private recognised hospitals will not be permitted.

 

·                     All other terms and conditions of the RELHS-97 mentioned in Board’s letters under reference will remain unaltered.

·                     RELHS (Medical identity) card will be issued by the Personnel Branch of concerned Railways.  The RELHS Card issued to beneficiaries with ‘lock in’ period should clearly indicate the designation, amount deposited and name and designation of issuing authority/signatory.

 

·                     Lock in period to be clearly and prominently mentioned on the card alongwith the conditions.

 

·                     The retired / medically invalidated  employees who are willing to join this scheme must give a clear declaration alongwith application that he/she is joining the scheme with full knowledge about the “lock in” period. He/she should also give clear declaration that during the ‘lock in’ period he/she will not submit any reimbursement claim for treatment taken in private and private recognised hospitals and would not challenge the orders of Railway Board to this effect in any court of law.

 

The above instructions are applicable to those retired/medically invalidated employees and spouses of railway employees who died in harness/after superannuation and did not join the RELHS-97 scheme earlier.

 

All medically invalidated employees and the spouses of the employees who die in harness are permitted to join the scheme within 3 months from the date of invalidation/death of the employee.

 

The scheme is open from the date of issue of this letter upto 31.12.2007 and would not be extended further in any circumstances.

 

A wide publicity should be given.

 

This issues with the concurrence of the Finance Directorate of the Ministry of Railways.