Page 14 - Insurance Times November 2022

convenor, Project: Jeevan Raksha, an
Former AIIMS Director cautions against new Omicron
initiative of Proxima Consulting focusing
variants in India on advocacy, analytics and awareness in
healthcare. "On the other hand, Kerala
New, emerging variants of the Omicron have sparked attention once again
and people are being reminded that COVID is not yet wiped out, even is spending 1.1% of its gross state do-
mestic product (GSDP) on health expen-
though most of Omicron infections reported are milder and less serious, com-
diture, which is marginally higher than
pared to the previous COVID variants.
other southern states. This indicates
India reported its first case of Omicron BQ.1 in Maharashtra. The Omicron
that the state government is paying
strain is a fast-spreading variant and people can get easily infected even
more for healthcare products and ser-
with limited exposure to the virus.
vices consumed under various
Maharashtra has also reported India's first case of XBB. This is a recombi- healthcare schemes," he said.
nant lineage between two Omicron sublineages BJ.1 and BA.2.75.
Mental health to be cov-
Dr Randeep Guleria, the former director of AIIMS, Delhi, cautioned that
this new variant "has a tendency to mutate that will continue," speaking to
ered under insurance from
news agency ANI, he added that now "the situation is different."
31 Oct
All health insurance policies will man-
Pradesh at Rs 4,967. Besides, it has
Kerala health spend, high-
datorily cover mental illnesses from 31
gone up from Rs 9,264 the previous
est in India October 2022.
year, 2017-18. The NHA estimates are
The per capita health expenditure is the sixth consecutive report. It is pre- “All insurance products shall cover men-
the highest in Kerala at Rs 9,871, al- pared using an accounting framework tal illness and comply with the provi-
most four times the national average based on the internationally accepted sions of the MHC Act, 2017 without any
of Rs 2,100, indicating that the cost of standard of System of Health Ac- deviation. Insurers are requested to
healthcare in the state is significantly counts, 2011, developed by WHO. The confirm compliance before 31 October
higher than the other states. The Na- report shows that out-of-pocket expen- 2022,” the Insurance Regulatory and
tional Health Account (NHA) estimates diture in Kerala remains exceedingly Development Authority IRDAI said in a
report for 2018-19 of the Union health high, with two-thirds or 69% of health circular issued on 18 October.
and family welfare ministry, released, expenditure being paid from personal
The Mental Health Act, 2017, which lays
puts Himachal Pradesh (Rs 6,946) in savings or borrowings or other sources
the foundation for insurance for psycho-
the second place. against national average of 53%.
logical disorders, defines “mental ill-
Kerala's figures were twice as much as "The data show that people are paying ness” as "means a substantial disorder
the other south Indian states, with 2.5 times more than those in other of thinking, mood, perception, orienta-
Karnataka at Rs 4,878, TN at Rs 4,311, southern states for healthcare facilities tion or memory that grossly impairs
Telangana at Rs 4,130 and Andhra in Kerala," said Mysore Sanjeev, judgment, behaviour, capacity to

12 November 2022 The Insurance Times