ECHS Directive On Annual Validation Of ECHS Cards Of Dependents– New Guidelines Effective 15 June 2025

Why Renewal of ECHS Card Important ?

The Central Organisation ECHS has issued comprehensive instructions vide Adjutant General’s Branch, Integrated Headquarters of MoD (Army), Delhi Cantt – Letter No: B/49711-NSC/AG/ECHS/Gen Corr Dated : 10 June 2025 regarding Annual Validation of ECHS membership for dependents (excluding spouses). Based on field feedback and administrative inputs, the new process aims to ensure accurate verification of eligibility for continued medical coverage under ECHS. Failure to comply will result in temporary deactivation of the ECHS card for the dependent.

Key Highlights of Renewal/Validation of ECHS card

🔸 Who Requires Annual Validation?

All dependents above 18 years of age , except spouse of the primary beneficiary (ESM) must undergo annual validation.
Failure to validate within the stipulated time will lead to the deactivation of the ECHS card until the process is completed.

Responsibilities & Process

✅ 1. Action by Primary Beneficiary / ESM

Primary beneficiaries must upload supporting eligibility documents online through:

ECHS Kiosks
ECHS Web Portal
ECHS Mobile App

They will receive a system-generated warning starting 11 months after card issue or previous validation.

Documents Required:

Eligibility Certificate for each dependent (except spouse)
PAN Card Status:
- If PAN available: Upload Form 26AS of last two financial years.
- If PAN not available: Upload Income Certificate from State Revenue Department.
Income must not exceed ₹9000/- per month (excluding DA).
- For parents: Combined income should not exceed ₹9000/- per month.

Declaration:

An online self-declaration (as per Appendix A) must be submitted by the primary beneficiary.

✅ 2. Action by OIC Parent Polyclinic

Scrutinize applications via Guest User Module (Pending Eligibility Request Tab).
Approve/reject based on document validity.
Can request additional financial documents for verification.
In case of rejection, the applicant must re-submit after corrections.

ECHS Card Validity Extension

On successful approval by the OIC PC, the card validity will be extended by 15 months (up from 12 months earlier), effective 15 June 2025.
For validations done before this date, the validity remains as per the previous rules.

Revival of Membership Based on Income Change

Dependents previously denied due to exceeding income limit can reapply if income drops below ₹9000/- (excluding DA) for two consecutive years.
Evidence to be submitted: Form 26AS or State Govt. Income Certificate.

Special Waivers – One-Time Annual Validation Only

The following dependent categories are granted lifetime waivers post one-time annual validation:

White Card Holders (Persons with Disabilities)
- Lifetime exemption granted under PwD Act, if provided with a 64KB white card.
Dependents Aged 80 and Above
- Exempted from annual validation after one-time submission.

Conclusion & Implementation

These revised instructions supersede all previous guidelines issued by the Central Organisation ECHS on the subject. All stakeholders including PC staff, OICs, and regional commands are instructed to disseminate these instructions for awareness and smooth implementation across ECHS beneficiaries.