The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Coimbatore News : Medical insurance for mentally challenged

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 29, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

Medical insurance for mentally challenged

Anasuya Menon

The pilot scheme will cover non-contributory personal accidents

They have to pay only 50 per cent of the premium compared to a normal premium A family can take a policy up to Rs. 2 lakhs The scheme has been introduced in Coimbatore and will be extended to other regions

COIMBATORE: It has been a struggle all along for parents of persons with disabilities who have been trying to get medical insurance for their children.

For, no provision exists for such a coverage, especially for mentally and physically disabled people.

`Mediguard'

However, their untiring efforts seem to have paid off with the United India Insurance Corporation coming forward with a scheme for covering mentally challenged persons under a `mediguard' policy modified to suit the specific requirements of such people.

"Insurance cover is not usually provided to persons with mental or physical disability as they are at a risk of falling ill often and are more prone to accidents," says Mu. Dhanasekaran, Divisional Manager of United India Insurance, Coimbatore. But, in order to protect the interests of this section of society, a special policy has been designed for them as they too prone to infectious diseases such as normal children, he adds.

The pilot scheme would cover non-contributory personal accidents (accidents that are not caused by the disabled person) and diseases except complications caused due to pre-existing illnesses.

"Parents can now be relieved as they have a way to make the life of their disabled child secure," says K. Sankararaman, Secretary of Saarathy Pammac, an association of parents of persons with mental and physical disabilities. "Why should our children be denied the right to be covered under insurance just because they are mentally challenged," he asks.

The policy is floated for the entire family and the sum insured could be utilised either by a single member of the family or shared by the entire family, not exceeding the insured amount. The mentally challenged child would have to pay only 50 per cent of the premium compared to a normal premium, because the liability of the insurer is limited.

A family could take a policy up to Rs. 2 lakhs, Mr. Dhanasekaran says. According to the policy, the parent/guardian too could be covered for accidents.

The scheme has been introduced in Coimbatore and would be extended to other regions if it takes off well, he adds.

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