Mental Health: Last month, a Deloitte survey revealed that the number of people suffering from mental problems in India is 15 percent of the world. Most of the people affected by the corona virus are suffering from some kind of mental problem. Its effect is being seen on their functioning, physical health and behavior. About 47 percent of the professionals surveyed by Deloitte said that they are facing mental problems due to stress related to the office.
You must be thinking that if you have health insurance, then what is the need to take tension for mental health. In fact, OPD coverage becomes very important to widen and strengthen the scope of health insurance. Especially when you are facing mental stress or any kind of mental problem. In such a situation, one should opt for an insurance plan that has adequate OPD coverage, as any type of mental illness requires long-term treatment.
Why is OPD Cover necessary?
General insurance companies or health insurance companies include hospitalization and day-care procedures in health insurance cover. However, in case of mental problems, a person visits a doctor and takes therapy. Here it is necessary to have an OPD cover to cover the therapy fees and doctor’s fees.
What does the Mental Healthcare Act say?
The Mental Healthcare Act was passed in 2017. After the passage of this act, the Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) asked the insurance companies not to discriminate between physical and mental health.
Will you get cover?
Amit Chhabra, Head Health & Travel Insurance at Policybazaar.com says that just because it is mandatory for insurers to provide coverage for mental conditions, it does not mean that they will cover every individual. Whether a person gets cover or not depends on the insurance companies. If a person already has a serious condition, or his health is deteriorating rapidly, then he can be denied coverage.
Chhabra says that the insurer gives his consent only after all the pre-existing diseases are disclosed. After that it will either accept or reject the offer. If he accepts then he can do so without covering the pre-existing disease permanently. Or it can cover pre-existing diseases after the waiting period, the waiting period can vary from 2 to 4 years.
How much is the premium?
If we look at the premium of Sum Insured of Rs 10 lakh for a non-smoker of 30 years, then different companies charge different premium for OPD cover facility according to their underwriting policy. The annual premium for Aditya Birla’s Active Assure Diamond Policy is Rs.8,625 inclusive of GST and OPD cover can be availed as a separate rider. The Prime-Advantage Policy from Manipal Cigna has a premium of Rs 12,513 per annum and includes OPD cover. Also, the annual premium of Niva Bupa Health Reassure Policy is Rs 10,852 and OPD cover can be availed as an optional rider. Bajaj Allianz’s Individual Health Guard – Gold has an annual premium of Rs 12,851 and OPD cover is also available separately as a rider. (Data Source- Policybazaar.com)