The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India on 18th October 2022, has directed all the insurance products that are in force on or after the date of Mental Health Care Act, 2017 coming into force shall be deemed to provide cover for Mental Illness diseases before 31st October 2022.
As per Sec 21(4) of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 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.
The policy aims at treating mental health concerns on par with physical illnesses, thereby ‘normalising’ the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness and providing awareness on mental health. The insurance coverage would also enable access to qualified mental health professionals and increase accountability.
