Start including mental illness in your health covers: Irdai to insurers

Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has directed all the insurance companies to make a provision to cover mental illness also in insurance policies.

"Reference is drawn to the Mental Healthcare Act,2O17 which has come into force w.e.f 29.5.2018. As per Sec 21(4) of the said Act, 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.

All insurance companies are hereby directed to comply with the aforesaid provisions of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 with immediate effect, IRDAI said in its orders issued on August 16.

According to the Mental Healthcare Act-2017, every person with mental illness shall be treated as equal to persons with physical illness in the provision of all healthcare.

The Act further says that 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.