ECHS Eligibility Checker
Check whether you're eligible for ECHS membership based on service status and pension.
Last updated 31/07/2026
Calculator
ECHS Eligibility Checker inputs
Enter your years of qualifying service.
Stored only in this browser — never uploaded, no account required.
Manage My Service DetailsHow this works
What it means
Whether you're eligible for ECHS (Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme) membership, based on your service status, employee category and pension status.
How it’s calculated
ECHS membership is fundamentally for retired/released Armed Forces pensioners. This checker applies that single rule: Defence Civilians are generally covered separately (CGHS/CS(MA)); serving Armed Forces personnel are covered by service hospitals, not ECHS; and retired Armed Forces personnel are eligible only if they draw a pension.
Common Defence use cases
Checking your own ECHS eligibility ahead of enrolment, and understanding why a family member in a different category or service status may or may not qualify.
Formula
If Employee Category = Defence Civilian: Not Eligible (generally covered under CGHS/CS(MA))
Else if Service Status = Serving: Not Eligible as a primary ECHS member (covered by service hospitals)
Else if Pension Status = Not Drawing a Pension: Not Eligible
Else: EligibleAssumptions
- This is general guidance only, not an official determination — always verify with your nearest ECHS Regional Centre or Polyclinic before relying on it.
- Models only the single most fundamental ECHS rule: membership is for retired/released Armed Forces pensioners and their dependents. It does not model exceptions, transitional provisions, or category-specific clarificatory Office Memoranda.
- Defence Civilians are treated as generally not eligible for ECHS (covered instead by CGHS/CS(MA) rules) — a documented general rule, not a case-by-case verification.
- "Years of Qualifying Service" is captured for context only and does not gate the result — ECHS eligibility turns on pensioner status, since drawing a pension already implies the applicable minimum qualifying service was met, not on a specific years-of-service threshold this checker could confidently model.
- Does not model referral-based or exceptional ECHS access some serving personnel's dependents may have in specific circumstances.
Example calculations
Retired Armed Forces Officer, 22 years qualifying service, drawing a pension
Eligible — enrol or confirm enrolment at your nearest ECHS Regional Centre / Polyclinic
Serving Armed Forces PBOR, 10 years qualifying service
Not Eligible as a primary ECHS member (Serving) — covered by Armed Forces Medical Services
Retired Defence Civilian, 30 years qualifying service, drawing a pension
Not Eligible (as a Defence Civilian) — generally covered under CGHS/CS(MA) rules instead