The immunity-related disease of HIV/AIDS has remained a challenge for the medical and healthcare fraternity for over three decades now. While people get almost easy access to healthcare facilities and health insurance for other diseases, the story for HIV patients is a bit different. Even though there has been some improvement in health insurance for HIV patients in India in the last few years, it is still limited. And it is a challenge to access healthcare services for those living with HIV. A wider approach is required to solve these challenges so that HIV-positive patients can get care and necessary support to lead a healthy life as the virus impacts a person's immunity and leaves him/her vulnerable to illnesses. Because of this, insurance companies do hesitate often to provide health insurance coverage to people having HIV. This complicates their situation and makes life challenging.
Also Read - Mysterious Pneumonia Outbreak in China: Can Your Health Plan Protect Your Child? Here's What Experts Say
Talking to Outlook Money, Agam Gupta, Executive Director of Share India FinCap said, "Access to beneficial (plans) along with inеxpеnsivе hеalthcarе is a kеy problеm for pеoplе living with HIV (PLHIV) in India. Hеalth insurancе is critical in rеducing thе financial burdеn of HIV trеatmеnt and carе, allowing PLHIV to manage thеir hеalth еfficiеntly and livе satisfying livеs. Wе havе sееn positivе progrеss in PLHIV health insurancе covеragе."
Does Health Insurance Cover HIV?
Civil society and activists have recognized that there is a need for insurance coverage for people living with HIV/AIDS. But the progress in this direction has been slow. Often these individuals have faced discrimination when it comes to accessing healthcare. Now there is a ray of hope. Directions from the Delhi High Court, and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India(IRDAI) have mandated that private insurers make policies specifically designed to cater for the requirements of vulnerable groups, including those with HIV. "IRDAI has issuеd rulеs rеquiring insurancе companies to offеr hеalth insurancе covеragе tailorеd to vulnеrablе populations, including thosе living with HIV. This instruction has rеsultеd in thе implеmеntation of a fеw insurancе policiеs that covеr HIV trеatmеnt еxpеnsеs, providing a ray of hopе for PLHIV sееking financial sеcurity," Gupta added.
This step will help in ensuring equality in terms of access to appropriate and quality healthcare, irrespective of their medical history.
Importance of Health Insurance For HIV/AIDs Patients
There are limited health insurance plans that provide coverage for HIV-positive patients which can significantly offer relief to those living with the condition. A few available benefits of these medical insurances for HIV patients include in-hospital care covering all expenses related to in-patient care. It covers the fees of physicians, nursing charges, cost of surgery, and diagnostic tests. This ensures that PLHIV gets comprehensive medical treatment for their medical condition without facing many financial constraints.
Some insurers also provide pre- and post-hospital care covering healthcare expenses before and after hospitalization. To ensure that patients receive quick medical attention in an emergency, ambulance services are also available for transportation to and from the hospital. Some insurance providers also give coverage for daycare treatment or hospitalization for less than 24 hours.
Challenges In Offering Health Insurance For HIV/Aids Patients
Access to service centres remains a big challenge for PLHIV and it has been identified as one of the factors that makes it difficult to offer Mediclaim for HIV patients. Managers, policy-makers, physicians, and counsellors say this is a big issue. Another common issue is the distances PLHIV have to cover to reach the service centres which compounds their financial difficulties. Due to this reason, HIV patients need help to commute to these health centres. The number of counselling centres for HIV patients is also limited making specialized services and care even difficult. lack of awareness about HIV/AIDS in society and even among the medical staff remains one of the biggest challenges which delays their on-time treatment.
