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Monday, May 21, 2012

IRDA chairman makes war heroes happy; says “Insurance companies should cover essential implants" (Through www.moneylife.in)


First an introduction. Ms Sucheta Dalal of www.moneylife.in has been taking keen interest in issues involving disabled veterans. Such support from citizens from different walks of life is heartening and morale-boosting for the veteran community. Major D P Singh, a battle casualty who lost his right leg in a mortar explosion has been bringing to light this issue umpteen number of times through his NGO ‘The Challenging Ones’.


Speaking at a Moneylife Foundation seminar, IRDA chairman J Hari Narayan said that the need for various implants is real and it has to be addressed as disability can happen due to accidents, medical condition or at birth.

In most cases, medical treatment under insurance does not cover prosthetics/artificial limb, when in fact, this is absolutely essential for an amputee to live a normal life. Col (retd) Satish Mallik, a Kargil war veteran and amputee himself, brought this to the attention of the insurance regulator at a special meeting organised by Moneylife Foundation on 16th May.  Col Mallik and Lt Col Prakash represented The Challenging Ones, a not-for-profit organisation that encourages and helps amputees not only to lead a normal life, but look beyond and participate in sports and other activities.

Col Mallik said, "There is need to cover repair and replacement of a prosthesis, if this is deemed appropriate by the insured's treating physician/prosthetist". He said that at present, only few mediclaim policies cover prosthetics and out of them only Max Bupa covers up to the sum insured. While the Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) does give limited facility for fresh amputees, some group plans cover prosthetics for even existing amputees. "Individual mediclaim should cover fresh amputee and possibly existing amputees too", he requested.

Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) chairman J Hari Narayan immediately acknowledged the need for mediclaim to cover prosthesis. He said, "The need for various implants is real and it has to be addressed. Some mediclaim policies cover prosthesis and there is need for others to cover. We will advice companies about it. There is increasing need for various types of implants. Disability can happen due to accidents, medical condition or at birth. Prosthesis is essential part of the treatment for loss of limb. However, certain embellishments may be viewed as cosmetics and may not be covered and we too will not support it."

The Challenging Ones NGO gave a memorandum to the IRDA chairman requesting him to ensure that all insurance providers be mandated by regulations to offer mediclaim and accident cover policies to cover the cost of provision of prosthesis/ artificial limbs to the insured person, up to the sum insured and without any artificial cap.

The memorandum states that "The exclusions like war and war-like situations, natural calamity, act of terrorism may also be waived off to cover the provisions of Prosthetics under all medical/accidental insurance policies. This waiver may be given to the insurer on an enhanced/additional premium. Worldwide, in countries which have a market economy, insurance companies are mandated by regulations to provide prosthetic coverage under Medical/Accident insurance policies".

The Challenging Ones is a platform for the challengers (people call them physically challenged). It is a peer support group to hold hands of new amputees. It promotes sports for amputees.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fantastic NEWS. All Fauzis should ALSO take TERM INSURANCE with Partial and Complete Permanent disability benefit, at a very low premium is available with ISECURE TERM Policy of Bajaj-Allianz.

K Prakash said...

The effort by Maj D P Singh is commendable, considering that he and his org , 'The Challenging Ones" are fighting for the financial rights of the disadvantaged amputees of the entire nation without restricting themselves to the uniformed and exsm.

Also, the Army and MoD needs to wake up and reform the retrograde provisions of AGIF and pensionary benefits to the disabled soldiers. For starters, the MoD must implement admissibility of disability benefits of AGIF to those retained in service after attaining disability.

Anonymous said...

Dear Navdeep,
Lately even I had started feeling that you should stop the chat roll..

Harry said...

@ Maj Navdeep

Sir,

I'm sure the decision to remove chat roll must have been quite difficult one. But it was getting increasingly slanderous and people were hitting below the belt repeatedly. So I guess it was only fair that this acrimonious exchange was put paid to permanently.

Vasundhra said...

IN TRIBUTE TO THE PIONEER OF “ THE DIGITAL BUSH TELEGRAPH” :- “ http://chatroll.com/indian-military-benefits.” In the evolution of any Society or Institution or Nation, there comes a time when such instruments are usurped by the self centered motivated individuals or groups and it becomes next to impossible to distinguish between ‘Well Meaning Forces’ from those of the undesirable under current of forces created by the influence of money power of such groups of ‘Selfish Autocrats’ . Under such circumstances when most of the NEWS in put comes in the shape ‘Paid News’ as a reaction there comes in a form of pure and accurate ‘JOURNALISM’ which in Suppressed Societies comes in the BRAND name of ‘BUSH TELEGRAPH’ . The best example in recent history of human journalism in the form of Bush Telegraph can be quoted from the first war of Indian Independence where in the the bush telegraph was a fastest & accurate means of dissemination of information, at times more accurate and faster than , than recently introduced Morse telegraphy. With type of filthy environment emerging as shaped by corrupt politics & self centered shallow power centers created by nexus of bueacracy-politicians and supported by paid & sponsored media have created a vacuum , which has been now been filled up by advent of modern time technology by “THE DIGITAL BUSH TELEGRAPH”. THE DIGITAL BUSH TELEGRAPH has shaken the corrupt powers to be, and these powers are bound to induce the pressure to desist the digital bush telegraph journalism from its path of righteousness & toe on the dotted lines .Despite all such anticipated hurdles it can be said with confidence that “http://chatroll.com/indian-military-benefits'” had been championing the IZZAT of Armed Forces and suspending this platform of honest frank opinion will be greatest disservices to the well wishers of Armed Forces and encouraging the self-centered psychopaths who feel to gain in the degradation of Armed Forces.

Anonymous said...

We Indians cannot live without contempt....sad...chatroll bhi 'bali ka bakra' ho gaya...:-(

Anonymous said...

It is sad that Navdeep had to resort to this action in the face of relentless abuse of the facility.
I tried to warn people against it but then...
I hope Mogambo khush hua

Sorry Maj N. We didnt deserve ur largesse

Justin N Christian said...

it is very sad 2 know that The Chatroll stands indefinitely suspended.
in fact visiting/anonymous and pseudonym users should not be allowed on chat roll. only chatters with proper profile should be allowed.
i request maj. navdeep to think over it.

Dhoop said...

And, now we are doing best what we did on the chatroll, posting off-topic and totally out of context comments on a blog post about "essential implants". Is it that hard to start a blog of one's own and invite other members to view it for posting comments there?

PBOR said...

Missing Chat Roll and C-mates badly

Harry said...

@ All

Naresh Chandra Committee on National Security review has submitted its report to the PM ys'day (25th May). While some may not see it far reaching enough but nevertheless it has made some good recommendations:-

1. Staffing of MoD appts by Service offrs.

2. Creation of a permanent post of Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) (unlike the case now where Seniormost Service Chief assumes this addl charge). May be the Committee did not recommend CDS appt due to opposition by bureaucracy and the Air Force on the issue of appointing CDS and thus came out with this compromise. Chairman COSC would be a four-star Gen (unlike CDS which was expected to be a five-star Gen) and the Service Chiefs will continue to have a complete Supremacy over their respective Service (as is the case now).

3. Creation of a separate Spl Forces Comd by clubbing SF elements of the three Services under Chairman COSC.

The abovementioned recommendations are the major ones and there are many more besides these.

PS:

1. May be Maj Navdeep can do a blogpost on this and analyse the Committee's recommendations in detail for the benefit of everyone.

2. @ BCV. Sir, does the report make you happy? :)