Armed Forces Flag Day Fund - Serious Disease Treatment Grant

What is the AFFDF serious disease treatment grant?

The Armed Forces Flag Day Fund Serious Disease Treatment Grant is an aid-gratis paid by the Kendriya Sainik Board to non-pensioner ex-servicemen of all ranks and their widows for the treatment of listed serious diseases. According to the Kendriya Sainik Board scheme document, all pensioners of the Indian Armed Forces have been covered by ECHS since 1 April 2008, but non-pensioners who were released early because of organisational constraints, or who were discharged at their own request, have no such medical cover.

The grant reimburses a share of documented medical expenditure: up to Rs 1,50,000 one time for the approved serious diseases and up to Rs 75,000 per annum for cancer or dialysis.

Key objectives

• Meet the medical expenses of non-pensioner ex-servicemen and widows who fall outside ECHS and AFMS cover.
• Cover the high-cost conditions of old age, cancer, renal failure, heart surgery and joint replacement.
• Route the assistance through the Zila Sainik Board network so that verification happens close to the beneficiary.

Main features

• Funded from the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund, administered by the Kendriya Sainik Board Secretariat, Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare.
• Open to all ranks among non-pensioners, unlike several RMEWF grants that stop at Havildar and equivalent.
• Reimbursement, not advance funding — bills are paid first and claimed after.
• Payment reaches the beneficiary directly by ECS.

Who is eligible for the AFFDF serious disease grant?

You can apply if:

• You are a non-pensioner ex-serviceman of any rank, or the widow of one.
• You are not a member of ECHS and are not availing AFMS facilities.
• Your application is recommended by your Zila Sainik Board.
• The expenditure was incurred at an approved government hospital at the rates applicable under CGHS or ECHS.

You cannot apply if:

• You draw a service pension; pensioners have ECHS cover and are not eligible for this grant.
• You are an ECHS member or are using AFMS medical facilities.
• Your treatment was taken at a hospital outside the approved government hospital framework, or billed above CGHS/ECHS rates.
• You have already received the same expenditure back from a state government or your present employer as reimbursement or medical allowance. A self-certificate on this point is a mandatory enclosure.
• You are a serving soldier, a dependant other than a widow, or a civilian with no ex-servicemen status.

How much is the AFFDF serious disease grant?

According to the Kendriya Sainik Board, financial assistance is subject to a maximum of Rs 1,50,000 (one time) for the approved serious diseases, and a maximum of Rs 75,000 per annum for treatment of cancer or dialysis. Within these ceilings the reimbursement rate is:

The expenditure counted includes medical treatment, hospitalisation and medicines, supported by original bills.

Which diseases are covered?

The Kendriya Sainik Board lists the following serious diseases under this scheme:

• Angiography and angioplasty
• CABG (coronary artery bypass graft)
• Open heart surgery
• Valve replacement
• Pacemaker implant
• Cerebral stroke
• Prostate surgery
• Joint replacement
• Renal failure
• Dialysis
• Cancer

If treatment is for a serious disease not on this list, the KSB scheme document states that the application will be referred to DGAFMS for comment and recommendation before it can be considered for financial assistance.

What documents are required for the AFFDF serious disease grant?

All copies must be duly attested by the Zila Sainik Welfare Officer.

How to apply for the AFFDF serious disease grant

1. Complete the treatment at an approved government hospital and collect original bills countersigned by the attending doctor, along with the admission and discharge report countersigned by the hospital.
2. Register or log in on ksb.gov.in using the Apply Online link on the scheme page, and fill the application for financial assistance for treatment of serious diseases.
3. Fill the prescribed application format and attach the attested copies of the discharge book, identity card, bills, hospital report, the self-certificate of no other reimbursement, and your PNB or SBI account details with IFSC.
4. Submit the application at your Zila Sainik Board, where the Zila Sainik Welfare Officer verifies the original documents and signs the recommendation.
5. The ZSWO forwards the application directly to the KSB Secretariat for payment once it is found correct.
6. At the KSB Secretariat the Welfare Section records the application, a second clerk checks the entries, and the Section-in-Charge puts it up to the Joint Director (Welfare).
7. Approval by the Secretary, KSB is taken on a monthly basis, after which the Accounts Section releases payment by ECS to the beneficiary's account.

The sample application form and the application authorisation flow are published as downloads on the KSB scheme page.

How is the application processed at KSB?

The Kendriya Sainik Board sets out the internal route in the scheme document. Applications received in the Welfare Section are assigned to a clerk for data entry, checked by a second clerk, verified by the Section-in-Charge, and put up in the relevant file to the Joint Director (Welfare), who obtains the Secretary KSB's approval on a monthly cycle. The Welfare Section then verifies the ex-serviceman's service number, name, banker's IFSC and account number, and forwards the approved list to the Accounts Section, which pays beneficiaries directly by ECS.

This is why bank details matter more than anything else in the application. A wrong IFSC or an account not in PNB or SBI is the most common cause of a payment failure after approval.

Common reasons AFFDF serious disease claims are rejected

• The applicant is a pensioner, or is covered by ECHS or AFMS.
• Treatment was taken at a private or non-approved hospital, or billed above CGHS/ECHS rates.
• Photocopies of bills instead of originals, or bills not countersigned by the attending doctor.
• Missing countersignature of the hospital authority on the admission and discharge report.
• The discharge book pages are incomplete, illegible or altered without ZSWO authentication.
• No self-certificate confirming that no reimbursement or medical allowance was drawn from the state government or present employer.
• Bank details not in PNB or SBI, or an incorrect IFSC.
• The disease is not on the approved list and has not been referred to DGAFMS.

Help and grievance redressal

• JD (Welfare), KSB Secretariat: 011-20862446, jdwelfare-ksb@desw.gov.in
• KSB grievances: the Post Grievance and Track Grievance options on ksb.gov.in
• Postal address: Secretary, Kendriya Sainik Board, West Block-IV, Wing-VII, RK Puram, New Delhi 110066
• Local help: your Zila Sainik Welfare Office, which is the first point of contact for every Kendriya Sainik Board welfare grant

There is no fee for applying and no agent is required. Every step of the claim runs through the Zila Sainik Board and the KSB Secretariat.