Why are we not counted?
We, Ram and Jaya have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a chronic neurological disorder for which there is no cure in the world today. Our life-threatening problems are at a risk of being overlooked as there is no personal health insurance that is currently being offered by any insurer for people like us here in India.
Like many of you, our right to health is inherent to a life with dignity. Unfortunately, all our health insurance applications have been consistently REJECTED without providing a REASON, making us feel very DISCRIMINATED and DISADVANTAGED!
(Article 25 of the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD) visible or otherwise states that persons with disabilities have the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health without discrimination on the basis of disability)
The financial burden of health care costs on MS patients and their families is disastrous as we are having to deal with not just high treatment costs but also the lack of medical subsidy and personal health insurance cover. Will you help us reach out to policy makers to protect us from this unfairness by requesting them to develop a financial risk cover for every Person with MS in our country?
Without your support, we are afraid that many more like us who are affected with Multiple Sclerosis will not be counted!
Please do sign our petition.
Ram Kumar and Jaya Mathew
BACKGROUND
There is a huge financial burden on the families of people with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) in India. Most young people with MS lose their jobs, cannot afford treatment and don’t get any insurance cover. In case the person with MS is the sole income earner then the financial burden multiples as they have to bear the cost of schooling for their children, and caregivers have to take up multiple jobs to sustain their livelihood. In such cases, people have to put their homes and other valuables on mortgage to afford treatment. In addition to this there is a huge cost on non-medical expenditures like mobility aids, counseling, nutrition, and accessible transportation. Added to that are financial costs associated with consultations, diagnostics, and disability support. Most people with MS in India are denied insurance thereby leaving them with little or no option for accessing the appropriate treatment, in time.
In fact, the new Insurance policy for Persons with Disability (PwD) that has been developed comes with a very high premium and is not yet made available by the Insurance Companies. It has a waiting period of 2 Years for existing disabilities including MS and with a limited coverage of Rs.5 Lakhs only. Additionally, this policy is restricted to PWDs with Minimum Benchmark Disability Certificate, which most of the MS Patients cannot get due to INVISIBLE symptoms.
Overall, while there are efforts to ensure that health insurance in India is inclusive of people with disabilities, there is a lot of work needed to address gaps and improve the accessibility and affordability of such coverage.
Additionally, less than 15% of Indians have health insurance that covers chronic illnesses comprehensively while less than 10% of the health insurance products address the specific needs of neurological conditions! What is most disheartening is that MANY Persons with MS (PwMS) are not being given a personal health insurance policy post-MS diagnosis and all applications are being REJECTED without a REASON. In fact, 70% of MS patients believe that insurance providers do not even understand their condition and its financial implications!
In light of these facts – we urge each of you to join us in bringing these harsh realities to the notice of our stakeholders.
Help us sign this petition so that Multiple Sclerosis comes into the purview of health insurance in our country.
There is a huge financial burden on the families of people with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) in India. Most young people with MS lose their jobs, cannot afford treatment and don’t get any insurance cover. In case the person with MS is the sole income earner then the financial burden multiples as they have to bear the cost of schooling for their children, and caregivers have to take up multiple jobs to sustain their livelihood. In such cases, people have to put their homes and other valuables on mortgage to afford treatment. In addition to this there is a huge cost on non-medical expenditures like mobility aids, counseling, nutrition, and accessible transportation. Added to that are financial costs associated with consultations, diagnostics, and disability support. Most people with MS in India are denied insurance thereby leaving them with little or no option for accessing the appropriate treatment, in time.
In fact, the new Insurance policy for Persons with Disability (PwD) that has been developed comes with a very high premium and is not yet made available by the Insurance Companies. It has a waiting period of 2 Years for existing disabilities including MS and with a limited coverage of Rs.5 Lakhs only. Additionally, this policy is restricted to PWDs with Minimum Benchmark Disability Certificate, which most of the MS Patients cannot get due to INVISIBLE symptoms.
Overall, while there are efforts to ensure that health insurance in India is inclusive of people with disabilities, there is a lot of work needed to address gaps and improve the accessibility and affordability of such coverage.
Additionally, less than 15% of Indians have health insurance that covers chronic illnesses comprehensively while less than 10% of the health insurance products address the specific needs of neurological conditions! What is most disheartening is that MANY Persons with MS (PwMS) are not being given a personal health insurance policy post-MS diagnosis and all applications are being REJECTED without a REASON. In fact, 70% of MS patients believe that insurance providers do not even understand their condition and its financial implications!
In light of these facts – we urge each of you to join us in bringing these harsh realities to the notice of our stakeholders.
Help us sign this petition so that Multiple Sclerosis comes into the purview of health insurance in our country. WE WANT TO BE COUNTED!!