NEW DELHI: As per the National Mental Health Survey of 2016, around 15 crore Indians need mental healthcare intervention. However, in reality, only 10-12 per cent of them seek aid. While a significant section of society considers mental illness a taboo subject, a large section is also there that cannot afford the high cost associated with the treatment.
The major reason why mental healthcare is so expensive in the country is because no major insurance company provides a policy that covers mental ailment and even if they have a product, it is almost impossible to settle a claim, if not very difficult.
However, things are likely to change as the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has asked insurance companies to cover mental ailments under medical insurance policy, treating it at par with physical illness. "All insurance companies are hereby directed to comply with the aforesaid provisions of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 with immediate effect," Irdai said in a notification.
Few of the insurers have welcomed the move and it is expected that in the next few weeks, insurance companies will launch specialised products to cover mental health. "We welcome IRDAI's move to include mental illnesses in the ambit of health insurance coverage for customers. This is indeed a long awaited inclusion, much needed for those dealing with any form of mental illness and have been beyond the ambit of insurance cover so far," said Ashish Mehrotra, MD & CEO, Max Bupa Health Insurance.
Jyoti Punja, Chief Operating Officer and Customer Officer, Cigna TTK Health Insurance said the insurance of mental health is a progressive step in right direction. "We believe it will certainly create awareness, acceptance and inclusion when it comes to mental illness as any other ailment, while bringing mental health disorders at par with physical illnesses will 'normalise' diagnoses, reducing associated myths and stigma," she said.
Mehrotra said that stress is a major cause of depression and can lead to various mental illnesses and for people dealing with such situations, and his company has designed a behavioral counselling feature in its recently launched GoActive plan which offers telephonic counseling for anything related to pre-marital issues, nutrition, stress, child, parenting, etc. However few of the insurance companies feel that the definition of mental illness is so huge that it becomes very difficult for them to come with a product.
"Mental illness stretches from anxiety and depression to obsessive-compulsive disorder and borderline narcissistic personality disorder. While anxiety and depression can be treated in a short duration, the extremes of mental illness are an expensive and time-consuming treatment. The products for critical illness will depend on industry dynamics (competition), but one thing is sure, the premiums are expected to be high," said an executive of an insurance firm. He added that to include OPD cover for therapy, consultation and drugs will be something to watch out for, as it is something which is quite expensive.
As per the health survey, families had to spend approximately Rs 1,000 - Rs 1,500 a month for treatment and travel to access care. However, in a metro city like Delhi or Mumbai, a session with psychiatrist can cost anywhere between Rs 500-Rs 2,000 and the number of sessions vary from person to person. Drugs and travelling expenses can take the monthly expenses anywhere between Rs 5,000-Rs10,000.
Adding to it, shortage of doctors and state's timid spending to create awareness continues to make things difficult for patients. India spends only 0.6 per cent of its national health budget on mental health care, and there are just 0.3 psychiatrists and 0.07 psychologists per one lakh Indians- figures which need a serious intervention.