Follow Up On Health Insurance Scheme

ALL INDIA BANK PENSIONERS’ & RETIREES’
CONFEDERATION
( A.I.B.P.A.R.C.)
C/O BANK OF INDIA OFFICERS’ ASSOCIATION
(EASTERN INDIA BRANCHES)
BANK OF INDIA, KOLKATA MAIN BRANCH
23A, NETAJI SUBHAS ROAD, KOLKATA – 700 001
Mobile : 9674188524, E-mail : aibparc@gmail.com
Circular No.66/18 06.08.2018

(For circulation among all the members of the Managing Committee as well as
the Governing Council of AIBPARC, Special Invitees,
State Secretaries and Advisors of AIBPARC.)

Dear Comrade,

Sub : Renewal of Group mediclaim scheme of IBA for Bank retirees.

This is well within your knowledge that we have been consistently following up the issue with IBA and UFBU for last two months and all such communications have been circularized for favour of information of members. We have insisted on two points repeatedly viz. the retirees are anxiety-prone because of their lower financial ability and their suffering from different types of ailments due to advanced age.

We requested IBA and UFBU to start the process with sufficient time in hand so that last moment hassles could be avoided.

Meanwhile, the officials of K.M Dastur Reinsurance Brokers Pvt. Ltd. started meeting the leaders of different organisations of
serving people as well as retirees. Members have also come across certain emails which are now floating through whats app and created a furore in this regard. The representatives of the said company met the General Secretary of AIBPARC in Kolkata and also the President of the organisation in Gurgaon. Apart from meetings, they had telephonic discussions on several occasions. In course of discussion, it has been made abundantly clear to them that the retirees are at present under the cover of a group mediclaim scheme which was settled by and between IBA and UFBU. Until and unless the said negotiation process is over, it is not possible for AIBPARC to apply its mind on other proposal.
Members throughout the country have a panicky reaction to see the unusually inflated amount of proposed premium quoted by the insurance company to IBA. This is very natural because many retirees will not be in a position to renew the policy simply because of financial disability.

As a natural consequence, many of them have a desire to jump upon any proposal with
lesser cost. We urge upon each one of them to be very cautious and careful in their thought process and request all concerned to ponder over the matter from all realistic angles. The bilateral meeting between IBA and UFBU has been fixed of 8th August, 2018 to discuss the sole subject of review of medical insurance scheme.

The President and the General Secretary of the
organisation for last one week have been in continuous touch with the leaders of different components of UFBU, the leaders of different components of CBPRO and also with other retiree organisations and IBA. It has been the consistent effort of the leadership to impress upon all concerned that the situation will be unbearable if the hike of premium is so unusually high.


Written feed backs and suggestions have also been provided whenever sought for. We are eagerly looking forward to the outcome of the meeting of 8th August, 2018. Knowing the outcome of it, we shall have to discuss, deliberate and decide further course of action.

Members will surely appreciate that the coverage of a bilateral agreement has an Industry-wise implication which binds
different organisations, IBA and Government to some kind of accountability to the parties and in case of necessity we can approach each one of them for redressal of grievances. Sometimes results come and in most cases results do not come but we have a forum to fall back upon. We shall, therefore, try our level best to ensure that we can remain under the coverage of an
All India agreement. In case of any unfortunate conclusion, we shall have to sit with all retiree organisations and decide the future course of action which will be the best in the given circumstances. If we jump over any other proposal at the present moment, it will be a direct signal to authorities that we want to opt out from the existing arrangement.

Moreover, several questions come :

 if requisite number of families do not join the newly floated scheme, what will happen to its future?

 If the broker company can give a proposal in collaboration with a state owned insurance company for lesser amount of premium
than what has been quoted before IBA, why can the said insurance company not quote the same before IBA directly?

To sum up, we are open with all options. We are not having any closed mind in this regard. We shall see what happens in the bilateral meeting and we will hope upto the end to see a brighter result. Let us not lick the dust before defeat. In case no favourable result forthcomes, AIBPARC will be requesting CBPRO to arrange for a broad-based negotiation among all retiree organisations worth the name to decide the future course of action. It is assured that best possible welfare to the retirees will be
our principal motto,

With best wishes,
( SUPRITA SARKAR )
GENERAL SECRETARY