ESI, also known as Employee State Insurance, is a health insurance programme designed to provide financial protection to employees in India in case of sickness, maternity, and other medical contingencies. It is a funded, self-financing social security scheme which is administered by the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).
ESI is currently applicable to establishments with 10 or more workers drawing wages of up to Rs. 21,000 (US$282) per month. ESI and its benefits are available to both employees and their families, including spouses and children.
The benefits of ESI include:
Medical treatment for all insured persons at designated ESI dispensaries/hospitals, which provides free medical care to the insured and their family.
Cash benefits for 26 weeks in the event of sickness, disablement, and maternity.
Funeral expenses in the event of death of an insured person.
Subsistence allowance for the period of hospitalisation.
Benefits for the disabled insured person.
Vaccination benefits for children up to the age of 5 years.
In order to be eligible for ESI benefits, employees must be contributing to the ESI fund through deductions from their salary. Employers also contribute a percentage of their salary cost towards the ESI fund.
For more detailed information on ESI, you can visit the official website of the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) here: http://www.esic.in/ or consult a professional insurance agent.
