new delhi employees state insurance corps decision to increase monthly threshold wage limit to rs 21000 for coverage under its health insurance scheme has helped in attracting 35 lakh more workers under its purview parliament was informed todayas on march 31 2016 the number of insured persons ips under the esi scheme was 214 crore the additional number of ips on account of wage revision are estimated to be 35 lakh labour minister bandaru dattatreya said in a written reply to the rajya sabha todaythe addition of 35 lakh more insured person means that 14 crore more beneficiaries are added assuming a family of four person the insured persons dependent family members are also covered under the scheme and get benefits of the health insurance and facilitiesat present the number of total beneficiaries of the esi health insurance are 856 crore with 214 crore ipsaccording to a statement the government in principle decided to enhance the threshold limit of wage for coverage under the employees state insurance esi act 1948 from existing rs 15000 per month to rs 21000for this purpose a notification had been issued on october 6 2016 inviting suggestionobjections from all stakeholders he addedthe minister further said that esic has taken a number of decisions to absorb the increased number of workers under its net including increasing hospital bed strength of esi hospitals by 50 per cent if the bed occupancy of the concerned hospital has been consistently more than 70 per cent in last three financial yearsit is also upgrading its dispensaries into 6 and 30 bedded hospitals in a phased manner besides it is partnering with private medical practitioners and private clinics for providing healthcare facilities in those areas where esi does not have them he said