NACP II: Health Insurance in HIV & AIDS - INDIA

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

In India the concept of health insurance in HIV & AIDS is a very new - nascent

stage. We still live in a condition where the general insurance is still to tap

the potentials of our vast rural population. The health insurance is a

relatively arena even for most of the urbanities of India. Now with our

Government opening up the health insurance sector for foreign companies it is

the right time to sit up and discuss the issue of insurance for HIV & AIDS

infected persons.

In India mostly the foreign companies that have entered the market, have a

considerable percentage of shares of the host government. India is at the verge

of launching its NACP - III, but there is still no talk on health insurance by

NACO or by the central government. Most of the insurance companies are also

trying to pull themselves out of this issue. The reason they always site is the

recurring nature of expenses incurred by people infected by HIV & AIDS. But what

about their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) - does it not apply to a

problem this nature; where it stands to engulf the whole of humanity? The same

question is also the Government of India - what happened to their role of being

a welfare state? Will the Government take grants / soft loans from outside but

not mobilize the industry to respond to it where it can. I fully believe that

the health insurance can play a very constructive role in the mitigation of the

trauma the HIV & AIDS infected people.

Health insurance policies can be designed in such a manner that it not only

benefits the people infected with HIV & AIDS and also not be a burden to the

companies. Can the companies put 20% - 40% of their net profit for this cause?

Is it too much to ask for the sake of humanity? Will the Government also wake up

and do something about it?

With warm regards.

SUMAN JANA

E-mail: <sumanjana@...>