CAN A FAMILY PENSIONER BE COVERED BY MEDICLAIM WHEN THE DECEASED PENSIONER WAS NOT?

Mr A Nagendrakumar's query:

Sir, my father died on 01.01.2016 due to heart attack.He did not opt
for medicalim at his retirement as AO. Can my mother opt for GROUP
MEDICLAIM as SPECIAL ENTRY, now?

My suggestion:

I feel that Mr Nagendrakumar may approach the OS dept of the office
from where his mother is being paid family pension with a request
letter for being admitted into the mediclaim scheme for the desired
extent stating that she was not aware that her husband had not opted
for the group mediclaim scheme. The CO circular dated 12/2/2016
providing an option for increased cover makes the  newly recruited
employees  eligible to exercise the option for increased cover  at the
time of their recruitment .Mr Nagendrakumar's mother can request LIC
to apply the same principle for family pensioners who are dependents
of  deceased  retirees  who had not opted for mediclaim cover before
their death as SPECIAL ENTRY.Mr Nagendrakumar  may suggest to the LIC
Office to make a reference to Central Office if need be.

This is a humanitarian issue and all pensioners' bodies should take it
up with the LIC Management for providing all family pensioners an
option  of SPECIAL ENTRY to be covered by the Group Mediclaim Scheme
on the death of a regular pensioner who was not covered by the scheme
before his death.

Greetings.

C H Mahadevan