Jacqui Pile
In a few months’ time, swiping your retail club card or using your ATM card may get you free rape insurance. Lifesense Disease Management is hoping that its rape insurance policy will reach the people that need it most in this way.
”If retail stores and banks purchase rape insurance for their customers, we can provide it at a very reasonable rate,” says Audrey Potter, communications officer for Lifesense Disease Management, ”The policy will benefit poorer people.”
A rape can bankrupt you, say some rape survivors. Apart from the psychological traumas of such an ordeal, the cost of medication to prevent HIV infection, pathology tests, counselling and security upgrades is enough to put a serious dent in family finances.
When insurance companies launched such products last year, they were criticised for treating the symptoms rather than the cause of the problem. But many women feel that if there is a product that will assist and protect them should they get raped, they would use it.
”Regardless of whether the rape statistics are completely accurate, the number of women in South Africa who do get raped is way above international standards,” says Potter.
The company launched its rape insurance product last month, hard on the heels of Commercial and General Union (CGU).
Alexander Forbes also covers rape in its comprehensive accident cover, but does not have a separate policy for it. This covers R15 000 for anti-retrovirals and counselling at Netcare service centres.
For R11 a month, the Lifesense package offers cover of R14 000, and benefits extend to any member of the family should they get raped.
CGU’s policy costs a little more, at R25, but can be purchased individually, whereas the Lifesense policy is only available through a corporate membership – together with a medical aid policy, for example. The CGU policy covers only the principal member for anti-retroviral therapy.
One of the biggest fears for rape survivors is getting infected with HIV. Both policies cover anti-retroviral medication for the survivor. CGU covers up to R5 000 and Lifesense covers treatment for 28 days, which works out to a similar cost.
Lifesense also covers delivery of the starter pack within the necessary 72 hours after the rape to the victim’s home. The pack includes a combination of three anti- retrovirals, antibiotics to prevent infection by a sexually transmitted disease and hepatitis B, and the morning-after pill to prevent pregnancy.
With the Lifesense policy, HIV tests are covered for a year after the rape. However, treatment in the event of HIV infection is not included. Only if the member has taken out a top- up plan with the policy does the survivor have the option of going on to an HIV-managed programme if they test positive. This top-up would cover anti-retrovirals up to R15 000 a year, and pathology tests and medical consultations up to R6 000 a year. CGU does not offer this additional cover.
Neither company requests HIV tests before issuing a policy, but anti-retrovirals will only be covered if the HIV infection is caused by the rape.
However, HIV is not a survivor’s only concern. ”It became clear in our consultations with rape organisations and survivors that the trauma extends to the families of the survivors and can damage their closest relationships,” says Potter. ”Our R5 000 allotment for counselling extends to the whole family, including live- in partners.” CGU also offers a R5 000 counselling benefit.
Rape survivor Charlene Smith agrees that cover of alternative therapies is an open- minded approach to the problem of rape. CGU covers up to R500 for alternative therapies and Lifesense up to R1 000.
”Many rape survivors fear physical contact and touch,” says Smith. ”Alternative therapies like physiotherapy, facial massage or reflexology can help women to overcome this fear.”
”Fear seems to be one of the most significant immediate and long-term disablers of the rape survivor,” says Potter, ”and physical safety also needs to be ensured.”
The security upgrade benefit is available only with the Lifesense policy. This allows the beneficiary to spend up to R1 000 on improving or installing security immediately after the rape.
Both companies have a dedicated crisis line with medical and counselling staff available, which then dispatch the necessary personnel to help the survivor.
Because many rape survivors prefer not to go to a district surgeon or the police after a rape, the policies require only that the victims get confirmation from a doctor. The policies also cover any sexual abuse and do not stipulate that penetration by a male must have taken place.
People Opposing Women Abuse criticised insurance companies for cashing in on women’s misfortunes and suggested companies give money to help police deal with the increase in rape cases. CGU has created a trust fund to which it has committed R1 from each premium they sell. The trust will pay out once a year and will help fund any organisation that deals with HIV and rape or will be used to train police officers to deal with rape more effectively and compassionately.
Lifesense has committed 57c from each policy it sells to a similar fund that will pay out every three months to organisations that promote education in schools to reduce violent attitudes and sexism, a police trauma centre and a major counselling group or research centre.
Without proper research and consultation with legal, forensic and medical experts, rape survivors and women’s organisations, rape insurance policies are indeed an attempt to make money from the rape crisis. But Smith believes that well- researched, cheaper policies can empower people in a system that often does not protect the rape survivor.
Both companies say they are not making profit on the policies. ”Any profit will be channeled into our trust fund,” said Samantha Henkeman of CGU. And the Lifesense policy, priced as it is, offers little profit value for the company.
Lifesense hopes it will be able to create some sort of database on rape, which would assist police in trying to combat increased rape.