Mental health is becoming a major issue that concerns everyone today. Post-Covid Pandemic, mental health issues are no small concern. There are many campaigns going on today to create awareness about mental health. But many who suffer from such problems live without treatment for fear of being ridiculed in front of society.
As with physical ailments or injuries, it is critical to seek medical attention for mental health problems. There is a law called Mental Health Protection Act 2017 for mental health protection.In order to implement this law, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI) has recently informed insurance companies to cover mental illnesses in their insurance.
The Indian Express also reported that the IRDAI has also asked them to verify compliance with the MHC Act, 2017 before October 31, 2022.
This means that if you need to see a doctor for a mental health issue, your mental health insurance plan will cover the cost of the treatment. This includes cost of medicines, diagnosis, treatment cost, ambulance fee and hotel rent. This coverage will be different for different insurance companies.
Depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and eating disorders are some of the mental illnesses. But some diseases are excluded from insurance coverage. Mental retardation and intellectual disability are excluded from this. Also, the plan does not cover those caused by alcohol or drug abuse.