Health insurance: Bringing mental illness under health insurance cover will help customers
Health Insurance Companies in India - The Mental Healthcare Bill 2017 was a progressive reform in the midst of growing awareness. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India’s (Irdai) directive that followed, now includes mental illnesses in the ambit of health insurance coverage for customers. Viewed against the evolving narrative on mental health, this has the potential to significantly expand access to treatment —a critical need given India’s worsening mental health crisis. The National Mental Health Survey 2016 estimates that about 150 million adult Indians, or 15% of India’s population suffer from mental health problems. Those between 30-49—a productive age group in the workforce—are among the most affected. Without the availability of insurance, patients have had to cover the entire cost of treatment out of pocket. This has proved a major deterrent, due to which an estimated 80% of patients do not seek or receive any treatment. Health Insurance Companies i