Medical Policy Dilemma: Should In-Laws Be Covered for Married Female Staff?

We are in the process of framing a medical policy where we are considering a family floater. I want to know if the in-laws of female married staff members need to be mentioned as dependent parents. Does the company cover in-laws for female staff in the medical policy?

When we talk about a group mediclaim policy for our employees as a family floater, according to the mediclaim policy providers, they usually prefer the biological parents for all employees (both male and female), whether they are married or unmarried. In our organization as well, we require the biological parents for all married female employees.

Thanks for your reply, but in my organization, they are not considering the biological parents of married female staff, stating that after marriage, her parents are not dependent. In that case, I proposed including in-laws. However, now I think none of the parents will be part of it for married female staff, as compared to male staff, whose dependent parents are included, which I feel is not just.

As per our country's law and order, nowhere is it mentioned that after a lady's marriage, her biological parents are not their dependents. So, nobody can prove it. I would not like to comment on your organization's point of view, but you can take the initiative to make it possible as there are many females who are single children, and in their case, it would be very unfair.

I hope your company directors are educated. Why can't a girl's parents be dependent on her after her marriage? Which school of thought is your company stuck in? Is your company in some third-world nation? I fail to understand how your company can be so crude and gender-biased.

Regards,
Octavious

Echoing Octavius, if people can discharge their obligations with their own money, why can't organizations be progressive? It could be either male or female. They can take care of their own parents, in-laws, sons-in-law, and daughters-in-law too. Anyone could be a dependent.

Matrilineal System in Meghalaya

In Meghalaya, we have a matrilineal system. The youngest daughter inherits property with the condition that she has to offer refuge to anyone in the family who needs it.

The market practice is to give the option to female employees to cover either in-laws or parents. Male employees can cover only parents. In several cases, since both husband and wife are working, the husband's parents are covered under his employer. Hence, it makes sense for the wife to cover her parents within her company.

If you let me know your industry, I can give you available benchmarks to convince your management.

Regards,
Abhishek Bondia
SecureNow

In regard to the medical policy, for an unmarried employee, we can claim our parents and unmarried sisters or brothers as dependents. In the case of a married male employee, he can claim his parents along with his spouse and children as dependents. Similarly, if a female employee is married, then as her in-laws shall be covered already as dependents with her spouse, she can declare her parents as dependents.

Regards,
Vijaya

The best example to give to your directors is ESIC. Even in ESIC, female employees' biological parents are covered irrespective of being married or unmarried. You can refer to the ESIC Act for further information.