The Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare has recommended to the government to provide both life and health insurance cover to all HIV positive people without any discrimination preferably at normal rate of premium.

The Committee headed by Satish Chandra Misra, had recently submitted its report to both Houses of Parliament. In its 85th report, the Committee had given its green signal for the controversial Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014 and has recommended to the government to pass the Bill without further delay.

“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 HIV positive people for providing insurance cover for both life and health insurance. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the ministry should pursue the matter with the IRDA for providing insurance cover to all the HIV positive people without any discrimination. The Committee is also not satisfied with the existing provision of the Bill and recommends that the words 'such unfair treatment is based on and' may be deleted in order to make the provision more people friendly,” the committee in its report said.

Earlier while examining the Bill, the Committee had received suggestions for inclusion of a provision in Clause 3 that no person affected with HIV/AIDS will be denied both life as well as health insurance on the count of merely his/her being HIV/AIDS positive and such person shall have the right to life as well as medical insurance. Any claim by such persons shall not be denied.

In reply, the Union health ministry had informed the Committee that such a provision already exists in the Bill in Clause 3(j).They have also informed that the NACO was working with the IRDA on the issue for providing life as well as health insurance to all the HIV positive people. However, the IRDA was not in favour of providing insurance cover to such persons at normal rate of premium.