Fixed Medical Allowance: RBE No.18/2025 – FMA Option to Railway Pensioners/ Family Pensioners

No.PC-V/2016/A/Med/1(FMA)(E), dated 07.03.2025

S.No.PC-VII/223/2025

Sub: Grant of Fixed Medical Allowance to Railway pensioners/ family pensioners- change in option.

Ref:  (i) Railway Board’s letter No.PC-V/2006/A/Med/1, dated 15.09.2009 (RBE No.168/2009).

(ii) Railway Board’s letter of even no. dated 27.10.2022 (RBE No.137/2022).

1. In terms of above referred letter (ii) of Railway Board, Railway pensioners/ family pensioners residing beyond 2.5 kms from Railway Hospital/ Health Unit and eligible for RELHS were allowed opportunity to avail change in option, once in a life time, from FMA to OPD or vice versa without linkage to change in residence.

2. The Federation (NFIR) raised the demand for issuing instructions for procedure for implementation of change of option by a pensioner/ family pensioner from FMA to CGHS (OPD) facility and vice versa in terms of instructions of DoP&PW, the nodal department of the Government on FMA.

3. The issue has been examined in consultation with Accounts Dte. of Railway Board and it is reiterated that the Railway pensioners/family pensioners residing beyond 2.5 kms from Railway Hospital/ Health Unit and eligible for RELHS shall be allowed opportunity to avail change in option, once in a life time, from FMA to OPD or vice versa in accordance with DoP&PW’s OM dtd 23.03.2022.

4.1 In accordance with DoP&PW’s abovementioned OM, if a Railway pensioner/ family pensioner decides to avail change in option from FMA to OPD, he/she will apply to the Bank/ Disbursing Authority in Form 2 for discontinuation of his/her FMA.

4.2 Further to avail change in option from OPD to FMA, the undertaking form as available in Board’s letter dated 15.09.2009 (RBE No.168/2009) will be applicable. However for ease of access the same form has been attached herewith as Form 2А.

5.     To have a single point processing of this application, the following procedure may be followed as proposed by Accounts Dte.:

(i)    Pension disbursing banks should forward the application received by them along with appropriate details to the PPO issuing Railway (Pension Sanctioning Railway), the details of which are available in the disbursers’ copy of the PPO.

(ii)    If the application is received at Railways, the same may be forwarded to Pension sanctioning authority by the receiving authority.

(iii)   The Pension Sanctioning authority must approve requests for FMA changes, update records in HRMS and forward the case to Pension Accounts through IPAS ARPAN (under a drop-down Menu-FMA). 3 level authentication at appropriate levels should be put in place in both Portals.

(iv)   Upon verification in IPAS, the relevant data fields in UMID Portal and HMIS Portal should be auto updated for generation of amended UMID cards.

(v)   The system should generate a standard correspondence letter to the concerned bank’s CPPC and pensioner regarding updated FMA status.

(vi)   Once this process is completed, the “FMA option” data field in HRMS and IPAS should be frozen with the approval of competent authority to prevent future changes.

6.     Further the Bank/ Disbursing Authority will issue a certificate in Form-3 regarding discontinuation of FMA to the Pensioner/ Family Pensioner.

7.     After discontinuation of FMA, the bank/ Disbursing Authority will make necessary changes in both halves of PPO in this regard. The CPPC of the concerned bank/ Disbursing Authority, shall send an intimation to the concerned FA&CAO of the zonal Railway in the proforma at Form-4 for updating the record.

8.     This issues with the concurrence of the Finance Directorate of Ministry of Railways.

(FMA Form-4)

Intimation to be given by CPPC of the concerned bank to the FA&CAO regarding stoppage of  

Fixed Medical Allowance (FMA)

To

The FA&CAO

……………………. Railway.

Sir/Madam,

It is intimated that on receipt of a request in this respect, Fixed Medical Allowance to the Railway Pensioner/ Family Pensioner, whose details are given below, has been discontinued:

Name of the Railway Pensioner/Family Pensioner
PPO Number
Date of Retirement
Pay and Accounts Office
Date of discontinuation of FMA

Encl: Copy of application received from Railway Pensioner/ Family Pensioner regarding stoppage of FMA.

Signature of Officer issuing Certificate along with stamp of bank

Name of Officer issuing the certificate…………………………

Name and address of Bank……………………………………………

FMA Form 3 (BANK)

Certification from Bank regarding Stoppage of Fixed Medical Allowance of

Railway Pensioner/Family Pensioner

This is to certify that on receipt of request from the following Railway Pensioner/ Family Pensioner, payment of Fixed Medical Allowance (FMA) as part of his/her pension/ family pension has been discontinued by the bank:

Details of Railway Pensioner/Family Pensioner

1	Name
2	Pension Sanctioning Authority
3	PPO Number
4	Bank Account Number
5	Contact Number
6	Present Address
7	Date from which FMA has been discontinued
8	Reason given by Railway Pensioner/Family Pensioner for discontinuation of FMА:
	(a) Change of residence from area which is beyond 2.5 kms from Railway Hospital/Health Unit to area which is within 2.5 kms from Railway Hospital/ Health Unit.
	(b) Residing beyond 2.5 kms from Railway Hospital/Health Unit but intend to avail OPD facility under RELHS.

*(strike out which is not applicable)

The Railway Pensioner/ Family Pensioner has given an undertaking to the Bank that the option being exercised by him/her to avail medical facility under RELHS is a one-time option and that he/she has not availed the facility of change of option from FMA to OPD or vice-versa in the past.

Encl: Copy of application and undertaking (Form 2) from Railway Pensioner/ Family Pensioner.

FMA Form 2A (UNDERTAKING FORM)

(to be submitted in DUPLICATE by pensioners/ family pensioners to his/her Pension Disbursing Authority (PDA) one copy to be retained by PDA and other copy to be furnished to Pension Sanctioning Authority by PDA)

1.     I …………………………………………….. a retired employee/ family pensioner whose ………………………………………………(specify relation of Family pensioner with deceased Railway employee) was an employee of (Office address) …………………………………………………….declare that I am residing at (residential address indicated in PPO) ………………………………………………..which is beyond 2.5 KMs from the nearest Railway hospital/ health unit …………………………………….(Name of the Hospital/Health Unit as contained in Annexure III to Railway Board’s letter No. PC-V/98/I/7/1/1, dated 21.04.1999 (RBE No.65/1999).

2.     Accordingly, I hereby opt to claim fixed medical allowance of Rs.1000/- per month (present rate). Necessary endorsement may please be made in my PPO in this regard. Simultaneously, I undertake that I will not avail OPD facilities at Railway hospitals/ health units from the day I claim Medical Allowance. I also understand that grant of Medical Allowance is subject to the terms and conditions specified in Board’s letters No.PC-V/98/I/7/1/1, dated 21.04.1999 (RBE No.65/1999) and 01.03.2004 & No.PC-V/2006/A/Med/1, dated 15.09.2009 (RBE No.168/2009).

3.     I also declare that I have not availed of any treatment as Out Door Patient for the period from ……………………………….(indicate here the date of retirement or the date of availing OPD facility on the last occasion or 01.12.1997, whichever is later) to …………………………………………. (indicate here the date on which this declaration is signed). I may accordingly be paid arrear of Medical Allowance as per the prescribed rate for the period mentioned above.

Signature…………………………………………….

Name in full…………………………………………

PPO No. ………………………………………………

Issued by…………………………………………….

SB A/c No……………………………………………

Post office/Bank………………………………….

Branch…………………………………………………

Place……………………………………………………

Date……………………………………………………

FMA Form-2

To,

            The Manager,

            ………………………………………….Bank,

            …………………………………………………..

Sub: Application for discontinuation of Fixed Medical Allowance.

Sir/Madam,

1. I am presently drawing pension/ family pension, with FMA, from your Bank and my particulars are as given below:

1	Name
2	Pension Sanctioning Authority
3	PPO Number
4	Bank Account Number
5	Contact Number
6	Present Address

2. I hereby request you to discontinue my FMA due to the following reason:

(a)   I have changed residence from area which is beyond 2.5 kms from Railway Hospital/ Health Unit to area which is within 2.5 kms from Railway Hospital/ Health Unit.

(b)   I am residing beyond 2.5 kms from Railway Hospital/ Health Unit but intend to avail OPD facility under RELHS.

*(strike out which is not applicable)

3.     It is also requested that a certificate regarding discontinuation of FMA may be issued to me for taking further action in the matter.

(UNDERTAKING)

I hereby declare that the option being exercised by me to avail/discontinue medical facility under RELHS is a one-time change in option and that I have not availed the facility of change of option from FMA to OPD or vice versa in the past.

Date:

(Signature of the Railway Pensioner/ Family Pensioner) ………………………………………..

Name of Railway Pensioner/Family Pensioner …………………………………………………………

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Received request from Shri/Ms ……………………………………………………………………………..a Railway Pensioner/ Family Pensioner (PPO No. ……………………………………..) for continuation/ discontinuation of FMA as part of his/her pension.

Date: ……………………….

Seal of the Bank

Signature……………………………………………………………………………..

 Name……………………………………………………………………………………

Designation ………………………………………………………………………..

of the representative of the Bank.

Download Railway Board Circular RBE No.18/2025

Forward reference ⇒ RBE No.