Q: We have been told that medical insurance does not cover HIV/AIDS. Is it true only for the first year or for always? What if the person did not know of his HIV status at the time of taking out policy? Will the premium he paid be also forfeited? Will he get treatment for opportunistic infections like TB?

A:For most of the policies, exclusion of AIDS/HIV is uniform throughout the policy period. The medical insurance policy is taken for hospitalisation benefits and just because AIDS/HIV is not covered, it cannot be a ground for refund of premium paid. Most policies cover domiciliary expenses and inpatient treatment (i.e. requiring hospitalisation unless otherwise specifically stated viz. Cataract) relating to diseases including TB.