Medical Aid scheme

Name of the scheme shall be “THE MEDICAL AID SCHEME”

PREAMBLE:-

This Scheme is framed in order to provide Medical Assistance to the members of the Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association who are suffering from serious medical ailments. This scheme is framed in terms of the objects enumerated in Clause
2(ia) ofthe memorandum of the Kerala High Court
Advocates’ Association Rules and Regulations 1971.

DEFINITIONS:

ASSOCIATION :- Means the Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association.

MEMBER :- Means any Advocate either Life or Ordinary as the case may be on the rolls of the Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association (KHCAA) as per the Bye-Laws who has enrolled in the scheme.

COMMITTEE:- Means the committee constituted for the purpose of administration of the Medical Assistance Scheme.
The Committee shall be headed by the President of Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association and the Executive Committee Members. If the Executive Committee feels that for the better administration of the scheme some members are to be co-opted, it can be done at their discretion.

PREMIUM:- Means an annual payment collected from each member enrolled under the scheme.

SCHEME:-Means the scheme for providing medical assistance to the members of the Kerala High Court Advocates Association who have enrolled as members under the scheme.

SERIOUS AILMENT :-Means any serious ailment certified to be so by a competent medical practitioner.

THE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FUND :- Shall be such funds as are specifically earmarked for that purpose.

CONSTITUTION OF THE SCHEME :- The corpus of the scheme shall be collected and formulated in the following
manner.

The initial corpus shall be an amount of 9,09,371 lakhs which remains with the Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association as the unexpended amounts collected for the Annual Day Celebrations of 2018. The Association shall be competent to have any other excess fund/funds diverted for the purpose of the scheme from time to time.

FOR AUGMENTING THE FUNDS OF THE SCHEME :-
In order to ensure perpetuity and efficacious disbursement of medical aid, amounts could be collected in the following manner from each category of the members of Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association so as to augment sufficient
funds for medical assistance contemplated under this scheme.

An amount of Rs.5000/- is to be collected as one-time payments entry fee from the designated senior advocate who is a member of the Kerala High Court Advocates’
Association. An amount of Rs. 2000/- is to be collected as one-time payment as entry fee from the life members (except the senior designated advocates) of the Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association. An amount of Rs.500/- is to be collected as one-time payment as entry fee from the Ordinary members Any person joining as a member of the Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association will have to make a payment of Rs. 500/- as entry fee towards the Medical Assistance Scheme along with the admission fee for becoming a member of the
Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association. An amount of Rs. 200/- is to be collected as annual premium from all the
members who have enrolled in this scheme.Upon the Ordinary member becoming a life member, a consolidated amount of Rs.2,000/- shall be collected from such member along with the fee for becoming a life member. The Committee shall be entitled to receive funds from any other sources, if such payment is made voluntarily by any person or establishment.

RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF THE FUND:

The amounts collected by Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association towards the medical assistance scheme shall be under that head and audited annually under separate head. Nothing on the bye laws (Rules and Regulations 1971 of the
Kerala High Court Advocates Association) shall stand in the way of the committee constituted under the scheme to decide and disburse financial assistance to any member entitled under this scheme.

The unspent amounts remaining under the funds of the scheme shall be carried forward for the future funds of the scheme every year. Notwithstanding anything contained in the byelaws (The Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association Rules and Regulations 1971), nothing shall stand in the way of the committee constituted under this scheme to decide and disburse financial assistance to any member entitled under the scheme.

ENTITLEMENT:- Any member of the Association enrolled under this scheme shall be entitled to receive a maximum of Rs. 1 lakh per year. The amount to be paid to each person
entitled to receive the same, shall be at the discretion of the committee administering the funds. Any member who has undergone hospitalisation for serious ailments shall be entitled to make an application to the committee. The committee may after evaluating the need at their discretion, order payment of such amount not exceeding the limit mentioned above. The payment shall be effected by account payee cheque drawn in favour of the said member. However it is made clear that the names of such member who has received such assistance shall not be published.    

The name of such member shall be entered in the register maintained for the scheme with the amounts disbursed and the date of disbursement. A member under the scheme shall be entitled to the benefits under the scheme only after the expiry of 3 months from the date of his/her enrolment into the scheme.No member shall be entitled to any benefits under whatsoever under the scheme unless he/she has paid the annual premium as contemplated under the scheme.

Provided that the annual premium shall be valid for a period of 12 months from the date of enrolment under the scheme. The member shall cease to have any benefits under the scheme if such premium is not renewed within a period of 30 days from
the date of its expiry.

QUORUM:- The Quorum for the Committee shall be six.

ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE :- If the Committee feels that any additional financial assistance over and above the maximum permissible limits stipulated under the scheme, is to be given, then such additional financial assistance can be given subject to a maximum of Rs. 50,000/-.

AMENDMENT:- Notwithstanding anything contained in the aforementioned provisions, amendments could be brought into the scheme from time to time and as may be required,
provided such amendments are ratified by the General Body of the Kerala High Court Advocates Association by a 2/3rd majority of the members present and voting.