Page 10 - The Insurance Times July 2020
P. 10

IRDAI




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         SC notice to Centre, IRDA          implementation of section 21 of the  50,000. You can opt for a cover in
                                            Mental Healthcare Act. The petitioner  multiples of Rs. 50,000, up to Rs. 5
         on plea to extend insur-           claimed that the inaction of the IRDA  lakh. Insurers are allowed to offer one
         ance for mental illness            to implement the provisions of the ACT  optional cover, the premium for which
         The Supreme Court issued notices to  has hampered the rehabilitation pro-  will be mentioned specifically.
         the government and Insurance Regu-  cess of thousands of persons with men-  The base cover will be offered on an
         latory and Development Authority   tal illness.                       indemnity basis whereas the optional
         (IRDA) on a plea seeking directions to  Standard covid-19 health      cover shall be available on a benefit
         all insurance companies to provide                                    basis. The policy will pay for hospital-
         medical cover for mental illness treat-  insurance policy to cover    ization expenses incurred by the poli-
         ment. A three-judge bench headed by  PPE costs                        cyholder for the treatment of covid-19
         Justice Rohiton Nariman heard the                                     on positive diagnosis for the infection
                                            Irdai has revised the proposed standard
         case through video conferencing and  covid-19 health insurance policy. All  from a government-approved diagnos-
         issued the notice.                                                    tic center. It will cover room, boarding,
                                            general and health insurance compa-
         The petitioner, advocate Gaurav    nies will now have to offer two prod-  and nursing expenses. Surgeons,
         Kumar Bansal, argued that due to the  ucts: an indemnity as well as a benefit-  anaesthetists, consultants, specialist
         "red tape attitude of IRDA", the pro-  based health product for covid-19 from  fees, including consultation through
         visions of the Mental Healthcare Act,  July 15. The regulator earlier withdrew  telemedicine, will be covered.
         2017, have not been compiled and its  the indemnity policy, which it had pro-  Other costs such as oxygen, operation
         non-compliance has affected those suf-  posed in the first week of June and rec-  theatre charges, surgical appliances,
         fering from mental illness.        ommended a benefit-based product.  drugs and medicines, PPE kits, and
         Bansal apprised the apex court that  Among other changes, the provision for  gloves among others will be admissible
         IRDA, through a circular issued in Au-  covering the cost of PPE kits and no  if hospitalized for a minimum of 24
         gust 2018, had mandated that the in-  sub-limits on room rent stands out.  hours. Intensive care unit and intensive
         surers have to act in accordance with  Read on to know what the revised prod-  cardiac care unit expenses will be cov-
         the provisions mentioned in the Men-  ucts are and whether they'll benefit  ered too. Unlike the earlier draft, the
         tal Healthcare Act. Section 21 of the  you. The minimum entry age for both  revised policy does not have any sub-
         act deals with non-discrimination of  the policies shall be 18 years and the  limits on room rent, which would work
         persons suffering from mental illness.  maximum is 65. Dependent children  in the favour of the policyholder.
         The plea also states that even the Par-  shall be covered from the age of three  The policy will also cover the costs of
         liament of India has mandated that for  months to 25 years. The policy tenure  treatment at home provided the medi-
         the purpose of insurance coverage,  could be three months, six months or  cal practitioner advises home treat-
         mental illness has to be treated on par  a year.                      ment and there is a continuous active
         with other illnesses. The petitioner also  Indemnity policy: The revised product  line of treatment, which requires moni-
         sought directions from the apex court  will have a base cover with a cap on  toring of health status by a medical
         to direct the IRDA to submit an "ac-  the sum insured up to Rs. 5 lakh. The  practitioner through the duration of
         tion taken report" on the issues of  minimum sum insured will be Rs.  the home care treatment.

          10  The Insurance Times, July 2020
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