<h1>ECHS Funds Increase, Online Billing System Launched to Tackle Payment Delays in Hospitals, Says Defence Minister.</h1> Over the past five years, funds allocated to the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) have steadily increased, with expenditures closely matching allocations. However, some empanelled hospitals have withdrawn services due to delayed payments, previously processed manually by military personnel, causing slowdowns. To address this, online bill processing was introduced on April 1, 2012, and has been implemented in 10 out of 28 regional centers. This initiative aims to expedite payments and improve service continuity. This information was disclosed by the Minister of State for Defence in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.