HIV+ may get medical insurance soon
NEW DELHI: India could soon see a national medical insurance policy for people living with HIV (PLHIV).
In a meeting with insurance companies and the Insurance Regulatory Development Agency on February 3, the National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) will press them to make insurance "inclusive and universal for PLHIV".
Currently, HIV is excluded from all insurance policies available in the country "violating the national mandate of providing stigma free care and support services".
Union health ministry officials said that HIV/AIDS which was earlier regarded as a "incurable disease" has now become a "manageable health problem" and, therefore, should be included in medical insurance policies.
"Right now, there are individual health schemes in some states which cover certain healthcare related costs of PLHIV. Many health insurance policies exclude services to PLHIV and there is need for a package designed specially for such people. We will discuss global best practices to see how a viable insurance policy can be created for them," joint secretary Aradhana Johri told TOI.
Another ministry official said, "Those living with HIV are living longer and have less morbidity cases, thanks to the increase in anti-retroviral therapy (ART) coverage. With timely initiation of ART, PLHIV may live a normal life up to 20 more years. Companies need to realize that covering HIV patients with a medical policy is no more a loss making proposition."
India with a HIV prevalence rate of 0.31% is home to the third largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world -- 23.9 lakh.
Some countries with higher prevalence rates of HIV have already taken measures to mainstream HIV through commercial health insurance cover. These i! nclude South Africa (17.8), Namibia (13.1), Uganda (6.5), Guyana (1.2) and United States (0.6).
K K Abraham , chief of Indian Network of People Living with HIV, said, "Insurance is life saving for us."
At present, only Star Health and Allied Insurance has an insurance policy for PLHIVs in four states -- Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. More than 7,000 PLHIVs have subscribed to this insurance which provides a health cover of Rs 30,000 with a yearly premium Rs 1,511.
NACO says that with about 89% of all HIV/AIDS infections being in the 15-49 age group, it effects in the most productive years. Currently, the financial burden of treatment and care is shared by NACO and PLHIVs. While NACO pays for ART, PLHIVs face economic burden of travel, nutrition and loss of wages.
Recently, India launched the national health insurance scheme, Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), for BPL. It is to be rolled out in 366 districts in 29 states. As on December 23, 2010, a total of 22,354,462 smart cards have been issued across 260 districts in 27 states.
NACO says, "HIV has been taken out from the exclusion list making it possible for poor PLHIVs to be covered under health insurance, which can make them entitled to one time hospitalization for nearly 700 in-patient procedures with costs up to Rs 30,000 by paying a minimal registration fee of Rs 30 per annum."
In a meeting with insurance companies and the Insurance Regulatory Development Agency on February 3, the National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) will press them to make insurance "inclusive and universal for PLHIV".
Currently, HIV is excluded from all insurance policies available in the country "violating the national mandate of providing stigma free care and support services".
Union health ministry officials said that HIV/AIDS which was earlier regarded as a "incurable disease" has now become a "manageable health problem" and, therefore, should be included in medical insurance policies.
"Right now, there are individual health schemes in some states which cover certain healthcare related costs of PLHIV. Many health insurance policies exclude services to PLHIV and there is need for a package designed specially for such people. We will discuss global best practices to see how a viable insurance policy can be created for them," joint secretary Aradhana Johri told TOI.
Another ministry official said, "Those living with HIV are living longer and have less morbidity cases, thanks to the increase in anti-retroviral therapy (ART) coverage. With timely initiation of ART, PLHIV may live a normal life up to 20 more years. Companies need to realize that covering HIV patients with a medical policy is no more a loss making proposition."
India with a HIV prevalence rate of 0.31% is home to the third largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world -- 23.9 lakh.
Some countries with higher prevalence rates of HIV have already taken measures to mainstream HIV through commercial health insurance cover. These i! nclude South Africa (17.8), Namibia (13.1), Uganda (6.5), Guyana (1.2) and United States (0.6).
K K Abraham , chief of Indian Network of People Living with HIV, said, "Insurance is life saving for us."
At present, only Star Health and Allied Insurance has an insurance policy for PLHIVs in four states -- Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. More than 7,000 PLHIVs have subscribed to this insurance which provides a health cover of Rs 30,000 with a yearly premium Rs 1,511.
NACO says that with about 89% of all HIV/AIDS infections being in the 15-49 age group, it effects in the most productive years. Currently, the financial burden of treatment and care is shared by NACO and PLHIVs. While NACO pays for ART, PLHIVs face economic burden of travel, nutrition and loss of wages.
Recently, India launched the national health insurance scheme, Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), for BPL. It is to be rolled out in 366 districts in 29 states. As on December 23, 2010, a total of 22,354,462 smart cards have been issued across 260 districts in 27 states.
NACO says, "HIV has been taken out from the exclusion list making it possible for poor PLHIVs to be covered under health insurance, which can make them entitled to one time hospitalization for nearly 700 in-patient procedures with costs up to Rs 30,000 by paying a minimal registration fee of Rs 30 per annum."
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