MAM
“We firmly believe that preventive healthcare is important to ensure good health”: Ruchika Malhan Varma
Mumbai: Future Generali India Insurance Company (FGII), a private general insurer, on 7 March had announced the launch of its most comprehensive women’s health insurance plan. The plan is designed to meet women’s unique needs.
Some of the critical differentiators of HEALTH POWHER include Enhanced Limits for Female Cancer treatments, Coverage for Puberty and Menopause-related disorders, OPD focuses on physical & mental well-being with the reinstatement of mental illness benefits to 200 per cent, Coverage for infertility treatment and Oocyte cryopreservation, Stem Cell Storage, a comprehensive wellness program, Lumpsum benefit for Newborn defect, Nursing care, Senior Care covering bone strengthening injections, joint injections etc., Enhanced maternity benefits with the inclusion of Antenatal cover, and many more.
For a country like India, where women comprise roughly half of the nation’s population, at around 49 per cent, less than one-third or only about 30 per cent of them aged 15-49, were covered under health insurance between 2019-2021, as per data fetched from the National Family Health Survey India report.
Indiantelevision.com reached out to Future Generali India Insurance Company Ltd chief marketing, customer & impact officer Ruchika Malhan Varma where she shared more insights on the launch plan.
Edited excerpts
On the key features of the HEALTH POWHER women’s health insurance plan launched by Future Generali India Insurance Company
Our recent survey among women in India revealed that approximately 74% of Indian women are not engaged in decisions regarding their health insurance cover. Given the unique healthcare needs of women, which differ significantly from those of men due to their distinct anatomy, it’s crucial to provide products that address their requirements. However, an overwhelming 75% of women feel that pre-existing health insurance policies failed to adequately address their evolving needs. Recognizing this critical gap, we introduced HEALTH POWHER, which addresses women specific health issues, ensuring comprehensive insurance coverage to women across all stages of their life. It covers Puberty and Menopause related disorders, comes with Enhanced Limits for Female Cancer treatments, provides Coverage for infertility treatment & Egg freezing, offers Comprehensive Wellness Program, and much more. It also includes provisions for various maternity-related expenses such as delivery, miscarriage, antenatal treatment, and newborn care. This apart, it also underlines preventive care strategy aimed at early detection and management of ailments, thereby contributing to long-term health and well-being. Supplementary benefits such as senior care, nursing assistance, temporary domestic help, and women-specific value-added services further enhance the plan’s coverage, making it a comprehensive solution dedicated to promoting and safeguarding women’s health.
On elaborating the coverage provided for female cancer treatments under the plan
According to official estimates, the number of cancer cases in India for the year 2022 was 14,61,427, with a greater number of female cases 7,49,251 compared to that in males 7,12,176. Understandably, having comprehensive coverage for cancer treatments included in one’s health plan is of utmost importance. HEALTH POWHER addresses this need by offering comprehensive coverage for cancer treatments, with a notable focus on providing additional coverage for cancers that predominantly affect women.
On the types of infertility treatments covered under the plan, and what is oocyte cryopreservation
Estimates suggest that nearly 60-80 million couples suffer from infertility worldwide and nearly 25 per cent (15-20 million) of them are in India alone. Under HEALTH POWHER we cover the cost of IVF and other infertility treatment and it is designed in a way to make infertility treatments accessible to our customers. This apart, cryopreservation, which involves the freezing and storage of oocytes (eggs) is also covered under the plan. This can be particularly beneficial for women who wish to preserve their fertility for various medical conditions where treatment would be medically necessary.
On the comprehensive wellness program offered by the plan entail
We firmly believe that preventive healthcare is important to ensure good health and help detect problems early on so as to provide timely care and support. Hence, we have included both preventive care and wellness benefits in our comprehensive wellness program. Under HEALTH POWHER’s preventive care benefit, we provide coverage for scans and vaccination, such as HPV vaccine, to our policyholders. The wellness benefits encompasses various value-added services and wellness reward points aimed at promoting healthy lifestyle choices. Additionally, our customers have the opportunity to accrue wellness reward points, which can be redeemed for additional wellness-related services, incentives, or discounts, encouraging ongoing engagement in activities that promote health and well-being.
On the plan providing lump sum benefits for newborn defects and nursing care
The HEALTH POWHER plan ensures financial support for newborns, covering expenses related to newborn defects, vaccinations, and stem cell storage, providing peace of mind to parents regarding their child’s healthcare needs. The plan includes comprehensive coverage for newborns, encompassing lump sum benefits for defects and nursing care. Furthermore, it covers stem cell storage for potential future medical use.
On the National Family Health Survey India report, covering only 30 per cent of women aged 15-49 under health insurance between 2019-2021
To address the low penetration of health insurance cover among women aged 15-49 years, a multifaceted approach needs to be implemented. This includes launching educational campaigns tailored to women’s needs, developing insurance plans covering their evolving medical requirements, providing financial literacy programs, collaborating with stakeholders, utilizing customized communication channels, simplifying enrollment processes, offering enrollment incentives, designing women-friendly policies, partnering with employers, and continuously evaluating and improving initiatives to ensure sustained progress. Our survey identified one of the significant factors contributing to the low adoption of health insurance among surveyed women: the absence of a comprehensive product addressing the specific needs of women. Infact nearly 75% of women we surveyed believed that the existing health insurance policies fell short of addressing women-specific needs and 94% of the respondents agreed that having a comprehensive health insurance plan for women would increase participation in the purchase process. In response to this demand gap, we have introduced HEALTH POWHER, a comprehensive health plan designed to cater to women’s varied needs across different life stages.
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
