Mental Health Coverage: What To Look In Health Insurance
After the Covid-10 pandemic, the emphasis of people on mental health issues has increased. In earlier times mental health was not considered to be important. But as the awareness of medical science increased over the years people have put more focus on mental health. Being mentally healthy means being in a healthy state of mind where your emotional, psychological, and social well-being is adequate.
There are many ways of self-care by which you can keep your mental health good. There are not many visible symptoms of poor mental health and it can be difficult to deal with. In earlier days there were few options to choose from while buying health insurance. But today, many companies are providing mental health insurance coverage in India.
What do you understand by Mental Health?
Unlike other body parts where we can easily diagnose the health problem and measure the recovery, for mental health, we do not have such parameters. Mental health is how people think, behave, and feel for themselves and others. Mental health does not only mean not having any mental disorders or disabilities it goes beyond that..
Society, for a long time, has made mental illness a stigma and did not even consider it something worth addressing. It is not hidden that there is always some kind of reluctance within societies about managing and addressing because of the stigma attached to it. It was in 2017 when the Mental Healthcare Act was passed that focused on including medical insurance and mental health coverage. Mental health insurance coverage in India was implemented in 2018.
Does your Health Insurance plan provide coverage for issues related to Mental Health?
With the increasing pressure of workload in this competitive world, mental health issues and shot up in recent years. According to some reports by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NMHS) , nearly 11% of India’s population is suffering from mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, severe mental disorders, and substance use disorders. In recent years, mental health issues have been talked about a lot.
Many celebrities and influencers have come up and talked about mental health on public platforms. This change in the perspective of people toward mental health has also forced health insurance companies to change their policies and include mental health coverage in their health insurance plans. The insurance governing body of India, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has asked the health insurance companies of India to provide mental health coverage.
What is health insurance for mental health coverage?
In the Medical Healthcare Act of 2017, mental illness was defined as a considerable disorder in moods, perception, thinking, memory, or orientation that impacts their decision-making, judgment, and behavior capabilities to meet ordinary daily life activities.
Mental health coverage in health insurance policies aims to provide financial assistance in the cases mentioned above. Mental health coverage thus not only provides a facility to address mental health concerns that individuals usually ignore but also provides a platform for a fruitful and wise investment.
Key Features of Mental Health Coverage?
The mental health problems are very common these days. It is generally recommended to purchase health insurance as it can act as a boon in times of desperation. Some of the benefits which are generally provided in Mental Health Insurance Plans:-
- The compulsion made by the law
One of the foremost benefits of mental health insurance coverage is that it is made compulsory by the government of India as per the Mental Health Act of 2017. Health insurance companies must provide coverage to people diagnosed with mental health issues. Thus, a policy ensuring mental health should have all the provisions mandated by the act.
- It provides coverage for a wide range of mental health issues
Mental Health Problems can be of various types. These mental health problems may include Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease. These mental health may affect the policyholder in his daily life activities.
The medication available for these mental health issues online is quite expensive. Financial protection is one of the most crucial benefits of the health insurance policy, and it ensures financial assistance for such problems.
- How to Maximize Mental Health Coverage
Apart from the coverage amount that the policyholder receives, there are benefits in pre-hospitalization, post-hospitalization, treatments, tests, and diagnosis that make the policy more value-providing. Several plans offer benefits for the treatment of poor decision-making capabilities, disorderly mood, memory, and perception. The wide range of coverage supports becomes very useful for the policyholder.
Mental Diseases that are covered under Health Insurance?
The mental health condition of the policyholder must be reported to the insurance company when buying the policy. Only the reports from the certified doctors would be valid for this. Here is a list of a few mental health issues covered in the health insurance plans - Bipolar disorder, Acute depression, Schizophrenia, Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Anxiety disorders, Psychological disorders, PTSD, Disorders involving unpredictable moods, and Hyperactivity deficit disorder.
Talking about exclusions, just like other health insurance plans, mental health insurance plans also have many exclusions. Knowing about them is the first step and is recommended so that there is no problem at the time of claim. The major reasons for the claim rejections can be these exclusions. Here is a list of them:-
- Any kind of severe mental health retardation
- The insurance plan provides coverage only for the policyholder's hospitalization. It might exclude the cost of consultation and medicines.
- The previous history of recurring mental health issues.
It is generally asked query that whether a health insurance policy will provide coverage for depression. Yes, health insurance policies provide coverage for depression.
Finding the Right Health Insurance Plan for Mental Health Needs?
After the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of mental health has increased. Mental plays a crucial role in smooth daily life activities. The impact of such pandemics is long-lasting. People recover from the illness, but the mental impact stays with them for a longer duration.
Mental health insurance is recommended for anyone with a traumatic experience or anyone facing trauma because of someone’s death. Today, everyone lives a very stressful life, so having a health insurance plan that provides health insurance coverage for mental health problems is recommended.
Some of the best health insurance for mental health coverage in India are Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, Cholamandalam MS General Insurance, Future Generali India Insurance, HDFC ERGO General Insurance, etc.
Furthermore, it is also essential to compare various plans available in the market to ensure that the policy you are getting is the best and most cost-effective policy for you.
Conclusion
As discussed above, there are several things one must look for in a health insurance policy that caters to mentally ill individuals. However, individuals should also have comprehensive information about all the things covered so that they can make an informed decision. This will not only help you choose the best health insurance in India but also keep you safe and covered from any mental health complications in the future.
