Letter to BS: Has the middle-class committed a sin by taking insurance?

The Telangana government’s statement that capped prices of Covid-19 treatment in private hospitals do not apply to patients who have insurance cover is really shocking. Have middle-class citizens committed a sin by taking insurance policies? It is an undisputed fact that the taxpayers contribute to the growth of a state\nation, but successive governments have just chosen to ignore them. The present situation is so scary that even insured people deserve to be considered by the government for coronavirus treatment in private hospitals. Is it not the basic duty of a government to help people during a national health emergency? In this critical situation, the state governments should work hand in hand with private hospitals by financially supporting them to procure PPEs and high-end medicines and subsidise all important tests. It should either fix the maximum cost of Covid treatment in private hospitals or subsidise various costs. The government shou­ld assist private hospitals by reimbursing a certain percentage of the costs at least. This way, the balance cost above the insurance limit will be reimbursed, may be within a certain cap. Private hospital managements should also show their nationalistic spirit during this alarming situation and reduce their charges to an optimal level. They should re­member without patients they cannot be in business. The state government\High Court shou­ld take this matter seriously.

Katuru Durga Prasad Rao  Hyderabad

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