The Auroville Health Fund ran into its first ever deficit in
the financial year 2013-2014 with expenses exceeding the income by more than Rs
12 lakhs. It is a worrying development. Private hospitals in Pondicherry have
increased their prices exponentially, while the Fund’s income hasn’t kept up.
The only reason why the deficit hasn’t been charged to the Health Fund members
is that there were sufficient reserves. But they won’t last.
The Auroville Health Fund was set up in 2002 as an internal
cooperative fund. All income is used to cover the health costs of the members.
A positive balance increases the Fund’s reserves, but a deficit has to be
covered by all the members. Until 2012-2013, the balance had been positive. But
in recent years, the reserves hardly increased.
A Health Fund Advisory Group setup by the Budget
Coordination Committee (BCC) is looking into ways to keep the Fund healthy and
to advise on the extent of its coverage. There is a strong pressure to cover...
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