Aids group: Let's talk about insurance

By Shaun Poon

Singapore’s Non-government Organisation for HIV and AIDS has called for a discussion with insurers on the provision of coverage plans for HIV and AIDS patients. The call was issued in an Action for AIDS (AFA) press release referring to India’s Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority’s draft insurance policy guidelines for India’s 2.4million HIV/AIDS patients.
In Singapore, current insurance policies rule out most claims from HIV or its complications. NTUC Income’s LUV plan, for example, only allows HIV claims for those infected through tainted medical blood transfusion or health workers who are infected on the job. Common infection causes such as sexual transmission and drug abuse are not included.
“Our insurance companies and Life Insurance Association of Singapore are capable of doing something given the positive growth figures that they have seen over the years,” said AFA in a press release.
The Times of India, which first covered the news of the draft guidelines, has since found India’s insurers “wary” of the challenges of sustainability, premiums, and patient confidentiality.