It is high time the state insurer thought of keeping pace with the world trend and designed a medical insurance scheme for senior citizens and others in the working class. Needless to add that ours is a ‘welfare’ system of government and moreover the present government and the President have taken steps to grant more concessions to senior citizens. There is a vast difference between the way senior citizens are treated in Sri Lanka and in other developed countries. We should at least try to get closer to the national insurance schemes in the US and UK where almost the entire population is insured.

This can be done conveniently by widening the scope of the Agrahara insurance scheme of the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation or by inaugurating a new scheme to embrace the private sector/ government pensioners and include all other youngsters and adults to counterbalance the risk. Sri Lanka Insurance should have no hesitation in embarking on such a venture as it has the blessing and the financial backing of the government and can solicit the co-operation of "Lanka Hospitals".

Enrolment of a large number of subscribers, even youngsters and adults will eventually increase the chances of profitability.

Moreover, it is incumbent upon the state insurer to have a much broader outlook on the ‘welfare concept’ of the government.