� Population Services International (PSI), a non-governmental system, in partnership with Star Health and Allied Insurance Company and the Karnataka Network for Positive People (KNP+) introduced India's first ever grouping health indemnity plan today to more than than 250 People Living with HIV (PLHIV). This innovative opening move is supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under Project Connect, a program designed to build Public Private Partnerships to combat HIV and tuberculosis in India.
The partnership, which brings together a private health policy company, a state spirit level network of people surviving with HIV/AIDS, an Indian NGO and USAID, is a example example of how a public-private partnership can address the of necessity of people living with HIV/AIDS; a model that will hopefully serve to encourage former public/private insurance policy providers to enter the field of community-based health insurance, a relatively modern concept in India.
Commenting on the initiative, Ms. K Sujatha Rao, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India and Director General National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) said, "I would like to preen USAID and Star Alliance for bringing out this product addressing an significant need of PLHIV. This will help them access timely tutelage and alive better lives. This is a beginning step to breaking dispirited financial barriers of PLHIV's in accessing treatment."
Speaking on this innovative partnership, USAID/India Mission Director George Deikun aforesaid, "Our support to Project Connect has spurred the private sector to address the critical insurance of necessity of people living with HIV. This aligns well with the Government of India-led National AIDS Control Plan-3 to increase secret sector engagement in HIV/AIDS services. We also hope that this effort will send a positive signal to the private sector in India to join hands with NACO to strengthen the national response under the strong leadership of DG, NACO, Ms. K Sujatha Rao."
Mr. Sanjay Chaganti, Program Director, PSI aforementioned, "With the objective of engaging the insurance sector in India in the fight against HIV, we assisted Star Health to fine tune the intersection to cause the specific needs of PLHIV. Further, working in close partnership with the KNP+, PLHIV across the state were educated and mobilized to enroll in this insurance scheme."
"We expect this initiative will not just now pilot what kind of insurance schemes fit the needs of HIV patients, but also enable the private insurance sector to offer need-based community-led wellness insurance schemes. For object lesson, to serve lower income PLHIV, we reduced the premium by 40% and have included coverage of hospitalization expenses, excluding t.B. and stomach flu, before the AIDS level.," said Mr. V Jagannathan, MD, Star Insurance.
Sharing her views Ms. Asha Ramaiah, General Secretary, KNP+ commented, "I am glad that at long last an insurance company has come out with a policy for us. It's a milestone in the fight against the secernment of mass living with HIV. PLHIV and their family members will arrive at hope and confidence and change the perception that we are a loading to our families."
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