Background: There has been a growth of 25% in the health insurance business in India during the last few years with the expansion of the private health insurance sector. The share of the private health insurance companies has increased considerably, despite the fact that from the patients’ point of view, health insurance is not a good deal. Aim: To provide information and assess the current status of private sector insurance with regard to out-patient coverage in India. Materials and Methods: The present review was conducted after doing extensive literature search of peer review journals in Pubmed and various search engines like Google. Data of Indian private health insurance companies was also utilized. No limitation in terms of publication date and language was considered. The main focus of the present review would be on the private health insurance sector with a spotlight on the out-patient coverage and various obstacles faced by the private health insurance sector. Results: Out-patient (OPD) coverage is one of the important emerging trends in the private sector health insurance. OPD cover assists the insured to claim expenses other than that incurred during hospitalization. However, it is still not a full-fledged offering under health insurance and major insurance companies are providing this cover for an additional premium. Conclusion: Private is strongly being advocated and receiving growing consideration by our country's policy makers that can deal with alarming health care challenges in India. However, it is not the only option.

BACKGROUND:Dental health-care personnel are at an increased risk toward infections caused by various microorganisms including hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses (HCV). A dentist can play an important role in the prevention of HCV by considering every patient as a potential carrier for hepatitis. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess the knowledge and awareness of dental health-care professionals regarding various aspects of HCV.MATERIALS AND METHODS:A cross-sectional study was conducted among 247 private dental practitioners of tricity. A close-ended self-structured questionnaire was administered which contained 12 questions on knowledge and awareness regarding HCV infection keeping in view the time constraints. Categorization of knowledge scores was done at three levels - poor, moderate, and good. Statistical analysis was done using ANOVA and Student's t-test.RESULTS:Nearly 96% (102) of postgraduates and 84% (117) of graduates had heard about HCV. 45.5% (112) had poor knowledge scores, 33.6% (83) had moderate knowledge scores, and only 21% (52) of participants had good knowledge scores. On the opinion of treating an HCV-infected patient by a dentist, only 61% (65) of postgraduates and 46% (64) of graduates agreed. There was statistically significant association of mean knowledge scores with gender, education level, and experience (P < 0.05).CONCLUSION:Majority of the dental professionals lacked knowledge regarding HCV infection and were not fully aware regarding certain aspects. Therefore, there is an urgent need for modification of the existing dental curriculum so that knowledge regarding these diseases can be imparted during graduation.

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Background: It is very important to identify common oral health problems particularly in rural areas and create awareness for the same so that people can make informed choices. This study was conducted among the adult population residing in rural areas to assess their oral health knowledge and awareness. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among adult population residing in rural areas around the dental clinic. A total of 662 participants constituted the final sample size after making necessary exclusions. A self-designed close-ended questionnaire written in English and Punjabi (local language) was constructed specifically for the study. The questionnaire was split into two sections. Analysis of variance and t-test were used in statistical analysis. Results: Majority of the participants (450, 68%) were male and 42.6% (282) of participants were in the age group of 41–50 years. Only 38% (251) of participants gave a positive response when asked about the importance of good oral health. About 40.2% (264) of participants believed that dental problems get cured solely by medicines. Low knowledge scores were recorded in 38.2% (252) of participants. Mean knowledge scores of the study participants were significantly associated with education (0.016) and occupation (0.027). Conclusion: Oral health knowledge and awareness among majority of study participants were not satisfactory. Therefore, the study emphasizes an urgent need for dental awareness and education programs targeting the rural masses.

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