For the past seven years, I have been living with Rheumatoid Arthritis, an autoimmune disease that slowly changes how you move, work, and live.

But what has affected me the most is not just my own diagnosis. It is the many moments spent sitting in hospital corridors, watching others quietly carrying the same journey.

Women.

Young professionals.

Mothers.

Elderly patients.

All waiting patiently with their medical files, learning to live with a disease that does not easily go away.

It was in those corridors that I realised something deeply troubling: autoimmune diseases remain largely invisible in our healthcare conversations.

In India, millions of people live with autoimmune conditions such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. These diseases are chronic, often unpredictable, and require lifelong treatment and monitoring.

Yet many patients face an additional burden beyond their illness.

Insurance coverage for autoimmune diseases is often limited or difficult to access, leaving patients to manage significant out-of-pocket medical expenses for consultations, medications, and long-term care. For many families, this financial strain becomes as challenging as the illness itself.

Autoimmune diseases may not always be visible, but their impact on daily life is profound. Early diagnosis and consistent treatment can significantly improve quality of life, allowing patients to continue contributing to their families, communities, and workplaces.

But this requires accessible care and fair financial protection.

Through this petition, we respectfully urge the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and insurance regulators in India to review existing policies and work toward ensuring better insurance protection for individuals living with autoimmune diseases.

Improving coverage for chronic autoimmune conditions would help:

• Reduce the financial burden on patients and families

• Enable access to timely and effective treatment

• Recognise the long-term healthcare needs of millions of people living with these conditions

This petition is not only about my own experience.

It is about the many individuals sitting quietly in hospital waiting areas across the country, navigating the same uncertainties and hoping for better support.

Autoimmune patients deserve visibility, compassion, and equitable access to healthcare protection.

If you believe that no one should have to fight both illness and financial insecurity at the same time, I invite you to join this cause.

Please sign this petition and help bring attention to the needs of autoimmune patients in India.

Together, we can start a conversation that leads to greater awareness, better care, and fairer support for those living with autoimmune diseases