People with HIV need life insurance cover, say experts

[Guest guest]

28 Jun 2009: CHENNAI: Though people living with HIV/AIDS have life insurance in

western countries such as the US, such people in India are denied the right.

Drawing attention to the stigma associated with people living with AIDS,

speakers at a daylong workshop in the city asked government and insurance

companies to provide health cover to HIV-positive people.

" Due to the successful use of anti-retroviral therapy (ART), people living with

HIV/AIDS are able to live longer while maintaining a higher quality of life. Out

of an estimated 2.5 lakh people living in the state with AIDS, nearly 40,000 use

ART.

After the opening of the insurance sector, nearly 22 companies in India provide

life insurance service. It is regrettable, however, that not a single one of

them has come forward to provide cover for the people living with AIDS, " said

the managing trustee of Genesis Welfare Trust, P Thangathurai, who organised the

workshop.

" A debate continues among activists about how insurance should be offered to

people living with AIDS. These people are not beggars.

They want to live with dignity and self-respect. However, a subsidy can be

provided while providing them life insurance, " said Dr Bimal Roy, project

director, Aids Prevention and Control (APAC) project. Dr Roy urged organizers of

the workshop to prepare a report so that the debate on the issue could be taken

forward.

A recent study conducted by APAC among 667 people living with the disease across

10 districts in Tamil Nadu revealed that they were willing to pay premium for

health insurance but preferred subsidised private healthcare instead of

government intervention, said Prathiba, a researcher at APAC. The was a need to

lobby with government and the insurance sector to ensure that people living with

HIV/AIDS in the country had access to life and health insurance, experts said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chennai/People-with-HIV-need-life-cover-say-e\

xperts/articleshow/4710981.cms

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

Re: /message/10437

I was a little taken aback by the statement that USA has life insurance for

PLWHA.

USA is now trying to get better health insurance for PLWHA , let alone for those

who are disabled.

If President Obama can get universal health care in USA, that would be a

'wonder'.

Ms Clinton, as President Clinton's wife, tried her hand at that game, and there

was an immediate backlash, and she had to withdraw in 1992.

American's believe in the free market (exteme like the Chicago school), and no

middle path, like the Scandanavian countries, UK, EU and Canada.

Well, after the fiasco in the markets in USA, which India did not bear, because

our wonderful late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, had nationalised most banks in

1975 (except Standard Chartered and few other banks), so we escaped the

downturn.

We in India still provide some free health care, but imagine what would happen

if the Indian government was afraid to intervene in the free market, and there

was no regulation. In 1979, India had a rule where CEOs could not earn more than

the President of India per month.

Thank you,

Sincerely,

Priyadarshi Datta, PLWA.

e-mail: <pdatta@...>