The Importance of Medical Insurance for Mental Health Care: Breaking Down Barriers to Access

With the bustling lifestyle and overworked population, people are suffering from varied mental health issues. When the mind is juggling with too many worries, it becomes hard to maintain a work-life balance. This unstoppable pace has resulted in various mental and physical lifestyle disorders such as depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, etc. To manage this widespread problem, people need to talk about it more often. This blog will discuss the importance of medical insurance for mental health care.

Mental Healthcare Act, 2017

To manage the problem effectively, the government has implemented the Mental Healthcare Act 2017, which defines mental illness as “ a substantial disorder of thinking, mood, perception, orientation, or memory that grossly impairs judgment, behaviour, capacity to recognise reality or ability to meet the ordinary demands of life, mental conditions associated with the abuse of alcohol and drugs.” 

One of the major provisions of the act states that mental illness should be included in health insurance coverage as a benefit for the people. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has asked insurance companies to introduce mental health coverage in their health plans.

Role of Medical Insurance in Mental Health Care

Mental health has been ignored for many years and continues to be a taboo in society. People neither talk about it nor want to accept that they are suffering from a health issue. A study by Lancet showed that post-Covid, there is a spike in the number of cases of depression and anxiety.  In India, such cases saw a spike of 35 per cent. In 2020, there were 76.2 million cases of anxiety disorders and 53.2 million more cases of major depressive disorders. Spreading awareness is one of the significant solutions to this problem. It requires efforts from government as well as private and individual entities. One such initiative is including mental health insurance in medical insurance plans. Medical insurance can play a vital role in getting affordable treatment for mental health issues.

Mental health insurance is specifically designed to cover the cost of treatment of mental health disorders. The insurance also provides ease of getting medical treatment for any type of related issue. By providing provisions for mental health in family medical insurance, insurers took the first step to remove the taboo associated with mental health issues. 

The coverage for mental illnesses can vary among insurers, and some illnesses, like bipolar disorder, psychosis, schizophrenia, etc., may have sub-limits depending on the insurer. The insurance reduces the cost of treatment and facilitates treatment at the top hospitals with the best medical services. With this initiative, people can now avail themselves of the same benefits for mental disorders as they used to get for other diseases. 

Benefits of Mental Health Insurance

With the continuous rise in mental health cases, health insurance companies have recently included mental health insurance as a plan. You must understand the following benefits it can provide to you and your family in the long run: 

• Cashless Medical Treatment: If you are insured under a health plan, you will get the benefit of cashless medical treatment at network hospitals and reimbursement facilities at non-network hospitals.
• Free Health Check-up on Renewal: If you are looking for family medical insurance, then most of the insurers allow you to get the benefit of free health check-ups on the renewal of the policy. You can also avail of this benefit when you have a no-claim year.
• Reimbursement for Pre and Post-Hospitalisation Expenses: You can get the claim on pre and post-hospitalisation charges, including medical bills, therapies, etc. You generally get reimbursement for 30 days prior to hospitalisation and 60 days post-hospitalisation.
• Stress-free Life: Being covered under family medical insurance will lessen your financial burden for the future. You can sit back and relax for any kind of medical expenditure within the policy tenure.

Long Story Short

You should understand that health does not only consist of physical health. It does involve mental health and issues related to it. A healthy mind and soul will help you remain stable and happy throughout life. Therefore, getting covered under a health plan will help you sail through tough times. 

To hold your hand in difficult times, Niva Bupa offers various plans ranging from individual health plans to medical insurance for senior citizens. You can also buy medical insurance for parents and protect them in their old age. You must visit our website today to explore a number of benefits we bring to your table.