Curtain Raiser: NHRC to hold one-day open consultation on health insurance of persons with disabilities in Mumbai on 25th August, 2023

Press Release

National Human Rights Commission New Delhi, 24th August, 2023

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India is organising a one-day open house consultation on health insurance of persons with disabilities at Jio Convention Centre in Mumbai on 25th August, 2023. The event is being held in collaboration with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and National Centre for Promotion of Employment of Persons with Disabilities, Mumbai.

The expenditure on health of Indians has increased in recent years. For persons with disabilities, it is even higher because there is an additional cost associated for living with a disability. The objective of the conference is to understand the challenges being faced by persons with disabilities while approaching insurance providers specifically for retail policies, challenges of insurance companies in providing their policies, regulatory authorities such as IRDAI, challenges faced by insurance chain in providing end to end insurance services, and to discuss and promote the launch of standardised insurance products developed by IRDAI for persons with disabilities.

The conference will be held in two sessions. These include ‘Identification of issues of PwDs in seeking insurance facilities’ and ‘Identification of provisions and issues faced by insurance companies with respect of providing insurance to PwDs and way forward’. The conference will be chaired by Dr Dyaneshwar Manohar Mulay, Member, NHRC. Joint Secretary, Devendra Kumar Nim and other officials of the NHRC will attend the conference.

The participants will include representatives of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), Insurance Providers and Third-Party Administrators, Key members from the National Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, National Centre for Promotion of Employment of Disabled People (NCPEDP), Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Countries have an obligation under international human rights law and domestic laws to address the health inequities faced by persons with disabilities. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), to which India is a signatory, requires State Parties to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to the same range, quality and standard of free or affordable health care as others. Right to health is fundamental right guaranteed to every citizen of India under article 21 of the Constitution of India which is also mandated by the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 under sections 3 and 25, mandates insurance for persons with disabilities.

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