Group Medical Insurance scheme for Bank Pensioners and Retirees

Group Medical Insurance scheme for Bank Pensioners and Retirees

ALL INDIA BANK PENSIONERS’ & RETIREES’
CONFEDERATION
( A.I.B.P.A.R.C.)
C/O BANK OF INDIA OFFICERS’ ASSOCIATION
(EASTERN INDIA BRANCHES)
BANK OF INDIA, KOLKATA MAIN BRANCH
23A, NETAJI SUBHAS ROAD, KOLKATA – 700 001
Mobile : 9674188524, E-mail : aibparc@gmail.com

Circular No. 79/19

Date:16.10.2019

(For circulation among members of the governing council of AIBPARC, State Secretaries, Special Invitees and Advisors.)

Dear Comrade,

Sub: Group Medical Insurance scheme for Bank Pensioners and Retirees

Further to our circular no. 74/19 dated:10.10.19 on above subject, we have been receiving lot of queries from members and affiliates as regards what are to be done by members. The reason of such wavering is: There has been substantial hike of premium which is virtually unaffordable by many and different schemes have been floated in the market. The result is confusion of worst nature.

Ourselves, being retirees and pensioners of the Industry, do appreciate that it is extremely difficult for a pensioner to arrange for the payment of a huge amount of premium per year. We also know that it is virtually unaffordable by family pensioners, subordinate staffs and old pensioners who draw a meager amount of pension per month.

Keeping all such things in mind, AIBPARC has been consistently employing all its efforts even up to the last moment to bring some amount of improvement for the benefit of retirees. Although the efforts did not yield any tangible result for the time being, the persuasion and pressurization of the organization will continue so that it becomes a pertinent and relevant issue for discussion in the current Bipartite settlement.

In the mean time, many Banks have already issued circulars on group mediclaim scheme for retirees and different date lines have been fixed by them for payment of premium. In our earlier circular (74/19 dated:10.10.19) we have already told that each retiree is requested to follow the circular of his own bank. We re-iterate our earlier stand and the reason of doing so are enumerated here under:

Members may please consider the following:

• We have thought it wise to remain under the cover of an Industry – wise negotiated settlement between IBA & UFBU because government directed the IBA to formulate a policy for the retirees. Although we are not happy with the current state of affairs , our fight for improvement will continue and it will not be wise to lose an established forum for negotiation.
• It will be extremely unwise to go to a private arrangement which does not have any accountability at least at the present moment. If there is any dispute on any matter, we do not know who will be the grievance – handling machinery.
• If any pensioner/retiree is forced to leave the scheme of IBA, he will be debarred from entering the scheme in future. Members are aware that large number of pensioners who could not renew the policy in earlier years are now outside the purview of the scheme and our organization is desperately trying to open the door of Insurance for such left outs . In the given circumstances, it will be extremely unwise to go out of the IBA scheme .

We hope that the issue stands well clarified and we end with the assurance that the efforts of the organization will continue in days to come for the betterment of the scheme. We sincerely believe that the only way to ameliorate the sufferings of pensioners and retirees is that the Banks will have to fully subsidize the premium of group mediclaim for retirees as they are doing in case of serving employees and officers.

With best wishes

Suprita Sarkar
General Secretary

Source: http://aibprc.in/