Health scheme for congenital diseases in kids not marketable:

Health scheme for congenital diseases in children and new borns are not marketable by insurance companies and thus it is not feasible to cover them under policies, the Delhi High Court has been informed.
The submission has been made by the General Insurance Council of India (GICI) before a bench headed by Chief Justice G Rohini which was hearing a PIL for putting in place health insurance policies and a national programme for management of birth defects.
GICI has said that instead of compelling insurance companies to provide the policies, it would be "better to direct the central government and its agencies to ensure free and subsidized medical treatment for all diseases, including congenital diseases, rather than framing the petition in the manner it has been done".

"A concerted approach at the level of government is required in designing and implementing health schemes to cover congenital ailments as that would be a more practical and lasting solution to the problem," it has said in its affidavit filed through its Secretary General, R Chandrasekaran.
It has further said, "There are no legal provisions which create an obligation on the insurance companies or compel them in any manner to provide insurance cover to persons suffering from a particular disease, which in the present case are congenital diseases or birth defects in kids and new born."
"Health scheme for congenital diseases is neither considered marketable nor feasible by insurance companies," it has said.

"Insurance companies cannot be compelled to provide mediclaim insurance policies to anyone, for any specific illness, against their wish.
"Launching and offering any given product is the sole discretion of insurance companies who are guided by factor of marketability of such product as well as the underwriting principles," according to it.