Insurance firm offers scheme for members of LGBTQ community, live-in partners

Under the comprehensive health insurance product — FG Health Absolute —customers can access value-added services like tele-counselling, webinars on mental and physical health, vouchers for wellness centres, fitness, sports and diagnostic centres and regular health check-ups to ensure a healthy and fit lifestyle.

“In keeping with our focus of being an ‘inclusive’ insurer, with this product, we are also taking an important step by expanding the scope of ‘family’ for our health indemnity products, to offer protection to members of the LGBTQIA+ community and members in a live-in relationship,” said Anup Rau, managing director and CEO, Future Generali India Insurance, in a statement to the press.

When The Indian Express asked if the insurance will cover surgeries like genital reconstruction or sex change, among other procedures, a representative said, “Treatment for change of gender is right now not covered. I think the idea of the products is to first bring them under the definition of ‘family’ and get
the recognition to normalise these relationships.”

Representatives of LGBTQIA+ community have welcomed the move. “It was the need of the hour. The Supreme Court verdict changed the idea of family…. the expansion of the definition of the family is really a stepping stone,” said Ria Sharma, a member of the community. “At the same time, there is a need to sensitise people for social acceptance. Queer couples often met with stares when they go out together,” added Ria, who is gender-fluid.

Gauri Sawant, a transgender activist from Mumbai, also expressed satisfaction over the new changing trend in the insurance sector. “Transgenders have guru-chela relations where the chelas are like children to the guru. They are families to us. So, we should also be able to enjoy the benefits of insurance where I can nominate my chelas,” she added.

Last year, on the third anniversary of the SC verdict, Axis Bank, in line with its ‘DilSeOpen’ philosophy, announced #ComeAsYouAre, a charter of policies for their employees and customers from the LGBTQIA+ community. They introduced the new policy, as part of which all employees of the bank were provided the facility to include their partners for mediclaim benefits irrespective of gender, sex and marital status, as per their statement posted on the official website of the bank.

Some activists also raised the need for government to provide such insurance coverage. “It has been four years now since the SC verdict. It is high time the
government also includes us in public schemes, such as LIC,” added Sawant.

September 6 marks the second anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment, which decriminalised homosexuality under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. It also allowed LGBT individuals to engage in consensual intercourse without fear of imprisonment.