Provide insurance cover to all HIV positive patients:Par Panel

A Parliamentary Panel today suggested the government to provide insurance cover to all HIV positive patients without any discrimination with a preferably normal rate of premium.
"The Committee is of the opinion that all HIV positive people should be provided insurance cover without any discrimination preferably at normal rate of premium or they may be charged slightly higher rate of premium...
"...But in no case exorbitant rate of premium should be charged from them for both life and health insurance," the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Immunodeficiency Virus And Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Prevention and Control) Bill, said.
The Committee also recommended that the Health Ministry should pursue the matter with Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) for providing insurance cover to all HIV positive people without any discrimination, the panel said.

The Ministry has said that although the Ministry and National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) was working with the IRDA on the issue for providing life as well as health insurance to all HIV positive people, it was not in favour of giving it at normal rates.
"IRDA was not in favour of providing insurance cover to such persons at normal rate of premium," one of the comments of the report said.
In the matter of appointment and functions of Ombudsman, the Committee noted that all matters pertaining to its appointment, qualification and jurisdiction have been delegated to the state government which will lead to "gross" variation and "disparity" from state to state.

"The Committee recommends that the Ministry should formulate a set of model guidelines giving strong procedures and systems in the matter for guidance of the states in the form of executive instructions," it said, while recommending the Bill to be passed with the prescribed changes without any delay.