The Employees State Insurance Scheme was the result of the enactment of the Employees State Insurance Act in 1948. The employees are protected against loss of wages due to inability to work due to sickness, maternity, disability and death due to employment injury in this scheme. The scheme offers health education, preventive care, medical and cash benefits. The employees and their family members are provided with medical care without fee for service. The insurance cover is extended to employees working in all non-power using factories with 20 or more persons though the ESIS scheme originally, covered all power-using non-seasonal factories employing 10 or more people. Service establishments like road transport, cinema houses, shops, restaurants, hotels and newspapers printing are now covered while persons working in mines and plantations, or an organization offering health benefits as good as or better than ESIS, are specifically excluded. For enrolment in the ESIS the monthly wage limit is Rs. 6 500 with a prepayment contribution in the form of a payroll tax of 1.75% by employees.