Confirm compliance with regulations to cover mental illness before Oct 31, IRDAI tells insurance companies

All the insurance companies dealing with health insurance have been directed to confirm compliance with norms to cover mental illness by all insurance products before October end.

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) recently issued a circular that spelled out these instructions. It said all insurance products shall cover mental illness and will have to adhere to the provisions of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017. The insurance companies have been directed to confirm compliance with theses instructions by October 31.

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The Mental Healthcare Act that was implemented in 2018 mandates the insurers to make provisions for medical insurance for mental health related issues, like it is available for physical well being.

The circular also pointed out that many health insurance products were not covering newborns with internal congenital birth defects from day one, which was mandated by the regulatory body earlier this year.

"It is reiterated that all insurance products that cover newborns/unborns shall comply with the necessary provisions without any deviation and provide coverage from day one without imposing any waiting periods/sub-limits or any other restrictive conditions," the IRDAI said in the circular.