Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948
56. Medical benefit
(1) An insured person or (where such medical benefit is extended
to his family) a member of his family whose condition requires medical
treatment and attendance shall be entitled to receive medical benefit.
(2) Such medical benefit may be given either in the form of out-patient
treatment and attendance in a hospital or dispensary, clinic or other
institution or by visits to the home of the insured person or treatment as
in-patient in a hospital or other institution.
(3) A person shall be entitled to medical benefit during any
period for which contributions are payable in respect of him or in which he is
qualified to claim sickness benefit or maternity benefit 101[or is
in receipt of such disablement benefit as does not disentitle him to medical
benefit under the regulations]:
PROVIDED that a person in respect of whom contribution
ceases to be payable under this Act may be allowed medical benefit for such
period and of such nature as may be provided under the regulations:
70 [PROVIDED FURTHER that an insured person who ceases
to be in insurable employment on account of permanent disablement shall
continue, subject to payment of contribution and such other conditions as may
be prescribed by the Central Government, to receive medical benefit till the
date on which he would have vacated the employment on attaining the age of
superannuation had he not sustained such permanent disablement:
PROVIDED ALSO that an insured person, who has attained the
age of superannuation, and his spouse shall be eligible to receive medical
benefit subject to payment of contribution and such other conditions as may be
prescribed by the Central Government.
Explanation : In this section, "superannuation",
in relation to an insured person, means the attainment by that person of such
age as is fixed in the contract or conditions of service as the age on the
attainment of which he shall vacate the insurable employment or the age of
sixty years where no such age is fixed and the person is no more in the
insurable employment.]