CONCESSIONS AND FACILITIES GIVEN TO SENIOR CITIZENS Part 4

CONCESSIONS AND FACILITIES GIVEN TO SENIOR CITIZENS

M.V.Ruparelia

(as of May 2011)

Part 4: Healthcare

19. Action by Ministry Of Health & Family Welfare: i) Ministry has formed a National Programme for Care Of Elderly during 11th Five Year Plan, which comprises- National Programme for Health Care of Elderly (Main Scheme) and development of National Institutes of Ageing with a total allocation of Rs 400 crores during Plan Period. ii) Major activities proposed under the main scheme are as below:

A) Development of 30 bedded health care units for Elderly Persons in 25 Medical Colleges in the Country. B) Development of 10 bedded Geriatric Units at District Hospitals in 100districts of the Country @ 4 districts attached to each Medical College. C) Development of Physiotherapy Unit at all the CHCs falling under 100 Districts. D) Weekly once OPD for Elderly and arrangement for Health Melas at the level of PHCs. E) Involvement of ASHA at Community Level. F) As regards the NIAs, these will be the apex referral institutes of the Country with 200 beds facility. Basic aim of these institutes will be development of specialized manpower, research in gerontology and patient care.

G) Health Ministry has started accreditation of Hospitals and Health Providers to ensure better medical service to Senior Citizens. H) Director General of Health Services has carried out projects on training of health manpower as well as developing training modules on geriatrics for different health functionaries for the purpose of providing training. A survey was conducted to find out the burden of diseases among geriatric population & the Report has been published in 2007.National Programme for Health Care for Elderly, approved by Ministry of Finance in June, 2010 has been notified with operational guidelines on their Web Site. A few meetings of stakeholders have been convened for finalizing the implementation strategy. Funds are released to Regional Medical Centres & States. I) Free of cost health services are already being provided to all Below Poverty Line (BPL) citizens including Senior Citizens. J) The Policy for providing land at subsidized rates for construction of private hospitals & charitable trusts already exists. K) As regards provision of geriatric wards in all the hospitals, article 20 of

`` Maintenance and Welfare of Parents & senior Citizens Act, 2007`` directs the State Governments to provide beds for all senior citizens as far as possible. Under NPHCE, there is provision for developing 30-bedded geriatric wards in 8 Regional Geriatric Centres and 10-bedded wards for Senior Citizens in 100 District Hospitals during 11^th Five Year Plan. L) There is a proposal in the NPHCE to provide training to the Community Members in geriatric care by ANM at sub-centre level. Ministry of S.J. & E. is also taking care in respect of the training of geriatric care givers. M) One of the important components of NPHCE is information, communication and education. Strategy will be devised to increase awareness of the community in respect of the role of balanced diet, proper exercise, yoga etc in prevention and control of diseases. Mass media programme will be framed to increase the awareness of the public as well as the medical care givers on the various provisions being provided under NPHCE. N) NPHCE will provide funding for research programme which will include all the important geriatric problems including Alzheimer disease. Apart from this, the mental health problems are being taken up separately through a dedicated National Mental Health Programme, which will take care of elderly also.

20. Central, some States, some Municipal and some Private Hospitals give free or concessional treatment including pathological investigations. Many Trusts, Organizations, Lions` Club, Rotary Clubs, Associations etc arrange free/concessional camps, lectures, counseling, supply of required medical equipments free or concessional rate etc. Many Chemists give concessions in medicines. Large number of Organizations has come up with alternative Medical Care Systems like Ayurved, Homeopath, Yoga, Acupressure, Reiky etc etc free or at a cost.

21.National Insurance Company has introduced Varishtha Mediclaim Policy for Senior Citizens between 60 to 80 years EXTEDABLE UP TO 90 YEARS with a basic cover of Rs 1 lakh covering Hospitalization & domiciliary hospitalization and Rs. 2 lakh for critical illness. It shall cover pre existing diseases after claimless 1 year. Many other Insurance Companies also offer various schemes for Health Insurance.

22. IRDA (Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority) has accepted several recommendations of the Committee on Health Insurance of Senior Citizens (Shastry Committee) in January, 2009 and these are under examination & implementation by Finance Ministry.

IRDA asked to relax life cover norms for senior citizens- Insurance news-Insurance-Personal Finance-The Economic Times

IRDA asked to relax life cover norms for senior citizens- Insurance news-Insurance-Personal Finance-The Economic Times: "IRDA asked to relax life cover norms for senior citizens
31 Oct 2009, 0009 hrs IST, Preeti Kulkarni, ET Bureau

MUMBAI: The ministry of social justice and empowerment has asked the insurance regulator to direct non-life companies to relax entry barriers for
senior citizens seeking to buy health insurance and overseas mediclaim policies.

At a recent meeting of the National Council for Older Persons (NCOP), where an IRDA representative was present, IRDA was asked to facilitate health covers for older people. NCOP comes under the ministry of social justice and this meeting was attended by Mukul Wasnik, the Union minister in charge of the portfolio.

Currently, the IRDA guidelines prohibit health insurers from denying fresh mediclaim policies to individuals above 65-year-old. NCOP wants this age limit to be increased. The committee comprises the Union as well as state ministers for social justice and empowerment, senior ministry officials, representatives of state governments and some non-official members.

In addition to health insurance, the committee meeting focused on problems faced by senior citizens over 80-year-old in getting overseas mediclaim insurance, while travelling abroad. At present, many insurance companies are reluctant to provide this cover to senior citizens.

'The council also recommended providing insurance cover to senior citizens travelling overseas, irrespective of their age,' informed Mathew Cherian, chief executive of HelpAge India – an NGO focussed on welfare of the elderly whose representative attended the NCOP meeting.

The council also sought a status update from IRDA on the steps being taken to address the issues relating to senior citizens’ health polices. Widespread complaints from senior citizens on non-renewals and disproportionate hiking of premiums had prompted IRDA to tweak the rules on renewability in March this year.

The insurance regulator had asked insurers to ensure that renewals were not turned down, except on the grounds of fraud, moral hazard or misrepresentation. Furthermore, the companies had been asked to furnish a note explaining the reasons for increasing the premiums and also, how the rise was in line with the charge structure mentioned in the policy’s prospectus.

Another circular issued in May had directed insurance companies to specify in writing the reasons for denying health insurance to senior citizens. “Such reasons should stand scrutiny of reasonableness and fairness,” it stated.

In addition, the insurance regulator had instructed insurers to ensure that the premium charged to senior citizens was ‘fair, justified, transparent and duly disclosed upfront’. Despite IRDA’s measures, however, many senior citizens continue to complain of health insurers rejecting renewal requests and charging unreasonable premiums."