Mental Health, Insured.
I don’t know about everyone else, but the minute I hear words like insurance and finances, I automatically zone out. But there was a certain piece of information I heard recently regarding the former that made me get up and actually pay attention. In a circular dated 16th August 2018, The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) stated that as a part of the Mental Healthcare Act 2017, that came into effect on May 29th, 2018, “…every insurer shall make provision for medical insurance for treatment of mental illness on the same basis as is available for treatment of physical illness,” thus getting India to join the same league as The Netherlands, Belgium and the UK (with NHS) among other countries that have provisions to assist their citizens financially when it comes to mental healthcare.
With the number of stigmas and taboos regarding mental health and mental illnesses, it has been a struggle to raise awareness about the same. We tend to overlook the fact that treatment can get expensive, so when validation and acknowledgement comes straight from the authorities, we can truly see a monumental change in our society. This circular is a ray of hope, seeing how little importance was being given to mental health awareness in the past.
While talking about mental health, many believe that the taboos attached to it are so deep rooted, making it hard for people to normalise having a mental illness and thus seeing a difference in treatment by their peers and surrounding groups.
Making sure that mental illnesses get the awareness they deserve, the Act gives provisions to mental illnesses at the same level as it gives provisions for physical illnesses, subsequently removing the stigma attached to mental health.
Since this is a breakthrough in bringing down the barriers placed in society, it is only natural that there are a few confusions and bumps along the way. As with any official work, the terms must be more specific as to what comes under a mental illness and considering the fact that mental illnesses are not really spoken about, a number of insurance companies may find it hard to define the terms and conditions for what comes under ‘mental illness’, because of which many health insurance companies have asked for the specificities to be cleared out.
Prior to this law, most patients with a history of mental illnesses were denied insurance, or their pleas were overlooked since provisions to cover treatment just didn’t exist.
Now with monetary coverage, one can hope for better healthcare without having to worry about burning a hole in their pockets.
According to sources, big insurance companies like Cigna TTK have responded positively to this law, which is a great sign in itself. Slowly but surely, laws like this grab people’s attention and make them look at things from a different perspective. For many, it is a wake up call since they would never have thought about mental health, let alone expect big companies to help others out on the road to recovery.
Mental health has only recently managed to create a stir with people realising the significance it has in our lives. Mental well-being is finally being spoken about on open platforms, so it only makes sense for the government to follow suit. With the Mental Healthcare Act stating that it plans to “provide for mental healthcare and services for persons with mental illness and to protect, promote and fulfil the rights of such persons during delivery of mental healthcare and services and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.” Through this, we can hope for a future of empowered, happier citizens who have a chance to fulfil their needs while being assured of the government’s support.
Tania Bagchi
