ESI Corporation: Major Initiatives Taken in 2020
Employee’s State Insurance Corporation (ESI Corporation) has entered into a partnership with National Health Authority (NHA) running Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojana (AB PM-JAY) which will create an ecosystem wherein beneficiaries of ESI Scheme of selected districts in newly implemented area shall be able to access services at AB-PMJAY empanelled hospitals.
Also, ESI Corporation shall be able to provide medical services to PMJAY beneficiaries through its underutilized Hospitals. For this purpose, 15 ESI Corporation Hospitals are being empanelled with PMJAY. MoU for above mentioned services have already been signed between ESI Corporation and NHA- PMJAY.
To start with, the pilot project of this scheme has already been successfully completed in two districts – Ahmednagar (Maharashtra) and Bidar (Karnataka). Integration of Panchdeep Module with PMJAY for real-time eligibility check before availing services through ‘Ayushman Bharat’ in specified two districts has been done.
- Opening of ESIC Hospitals to Non-Insured Persons: ESI Corporation, in recent years, has taken initiatives to provide health services to people other than its insured persons by granting approval to open its underutilized hospitals (less than 60% bed occupancy) to general public on nominal user charge basis. At present, 7 ESIC Hospitals are providing medical services to general public.
- Extension of Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna with relaxed eligibility conditions and enhanced relief payment: ESI Corporation extended the scheme of Atal Beemit Vyakti KalyanYojana for another one year i.e. from 01.07.2020 to period 30.06.2021 with relaxation in eligibility for the period 24.03.2020 to 31.12.2020 for providing the benefit to IPs who become unemployed due to Covid-19 induced lockdown. The Relief payment has been enhanced to 50 % of the average per day earning at the place of earlier relief payment of 25% of average per day earning.
- Enhancement in Confinement Expenses: The confinement expenses for confinement taking place outside ESI Dispensaries/Hospital has been increased from Rs. 5000/- to Rs. 7500/- w.e.f. 27.10.2020.
- Seeding of Mobile Number and Bank account of newly registered employees: For the target delivery of benefits to the bonafide Beneficiaries and for dissemination of information from time to time, the Mobile number seeding of the newly registered employees were made mandatory in ESIC database, w. e. f. 01.07.2020.
Further, the seeding of Bank Account details of the newly registered employees was alsomade mandatory in ESIC database.
- Performance Dashboard: A performance Dashboard is published in www.esic.in depicting status on various Key Performance Indicators, adding value to the organisation’s credibility and deliverables.
- Ease of doing business: For the ease of doing business, the new entities which are getting registered as companies through the Agile Platform of Ministry of Corporate Affairs are also facilitated to register under ESI Act, in a single go through common transactions. The integration of Panchdeep with MCA portal has been made effective.
- Option for Employers to create their account on National Career Services (NCS) Portal through ESIC Website: ESIC has given an option to Employers to create their account on National Career Services (NCS) Portal on single click through Employer portal in ESIC’s website www.esic.in. This integration of websites of ESIC with NCS helps Employers to further post the vacancies in their industries on NCS portal resulting in value addition proposition to the beneficiaries.
- Relaxation to employer in filing and depositing contributions and returns during Covid-19 period: Relaxation in time limit was given to the employers for filing and depositing ESI Contribution for the month of February and March 2020 upto 15.07.2020.
One time relaxation to file the return of contribution for the contribution period April-Sept. 2019 was given upto 15.05.2020 who could not file the return within the 42 days as mandated. Besides, the employers were allowed to file the return of contribution for the contribution period October 2019 to March 2020 upto 15.07.2020.
