Page 13 - Insurance Times April 2022

shield against cancer treatments as tations or availing of a tele-consulting Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman,
well as increase the penetration of facility. while presenting the Budget-2022-23,
health insurance in India. "We did a soft launch in January and said the programme will be launched
Usha Thorat, Trustee, Indian Cancer we will be onboarding parents in a to improve access to quality mental
Society said, "The Indian Cancer Soci- phased manner," said Bindlish. "We health counselling and care services
ety realises that the high and rising cost have jointly developed this product which will consist of digital registries of
of cancer treatment is beyond the with Care Health Insurance by provid- health providers and health facilities,
reach of several million Indians who ing them data and technical inputs to unique health identity, consent frame-
work, and universal access to health
are not eligible for government underwrite this," he added.
schemes including Ayushman Bharat Although the regulator has allowed for facilities.
that covers the poorest strata of soci- covering mental health and managed Dr Girdhar Gyani, Director General,
ety. For those above these limits and care, insurers have not been forthcom- Association of Healthcare Providers
the middle income, there are no insur- ing in providing this cover. Mom's Be- (India), said the government's intent of
ance products that are affordable and lief has facilitated this by defining the focusing on setting up 23-mental
mitigate the financial burden of holis- benefits that will be provided and build- health centres will be beneficial in gen-
tic cancer treatment. The experience ing the servicing network on its own. eral and more specifically for long
of Indian Cancer Society Cancer Cure Users will also get cover for pathology COVID patients.
Fund shows that Rs 5 lakh cover will and nutrition consulting on a co-pay
cover the cost of treatment of most basis. There are plans to widen the Govt wary of insurance in-
common cancers. We are happy that scope of coverage in coming months. flating healthcare costs
Niva Bupa has responded to our chal- Revenue secretary Tarun Bajaj said that
lenge and has launched an affordable A Rs 1.5-lakh policy will cover the government is wary about health
group insurance plan." hospitalisation for up to Rs 1 lakh and
non-hospitalisation treatment, includ- insurance driving up healthcare infla-
Startup offers health cover ing therapy benefits, for up to Rs tion. Responding to a call from industry
to reduce goods and services tax
50,000. The premium for this policy
with therapy for neuro will be about Rs 16,000, depending on (GST) on health insurance from the
disorders tax slabs. The therapy benefit itself will present level of 18%, Bajaj said that

Parents of children with neuro-devel- be worth Rs 25,000," said Bindlish.. they could make a representation to
opmental disorders can get health in- The four types of specialists available the Basavaraj Bommai-led group of
surance coverage, which includes include occupational therapists, speech ministers on GST rationalisation.
therapy and other consultation ben- therapists, special educators, and child "I have myself worked on the insurance
efits, through a group insurance policy psychologists. "We are a social enter- side of the government and somewhat
of a startup, Mom's Belief, which has prise, we work on volumes so that we understand what you are saying," said
tied up with Care Health Insurance. can pass on the benefits. We also rely Tarun Bajaj, responding to industry
Mom's Belief is founded by Nitin very heavily on technology as centres demand for a cut in GST on health in-
Bindlish, who is also the company's cannot be opened everywhere. We surance voiced by CII president-desig-
CEO, with funding from high-profile can cover the remotest areas using nate and Bajaj Finserv chairman Sanjiv
individual investors. Bajaj. "The only thing is that we do not
technology," he added.
The company's objective is to have go the way of some of the developed
holistic child development and to em- National tele mental nations, where health costs go up not
power parents of children with special health programme just because of inflation but also be-
needs by providing them with tools and cause of insurance," said Tarun Bajaj.
professional support. In addition to Healthcare experts have welcomed In the US, health insurance is seen as
providing the regular hospitalisation the Centre's announcement of a Na- one of the drivers of the rise in prices
cover, the policy also provides man- tional Tele Mental Health Programme, as they increase the demand for
aged care benefits and various thera- especially in view of the long COVID, healthcare services, thereby enabling
pies. Mom's Belief is also creating ca- but highlighted that the Union Budget private healthcare providers to in-
pacity and will increase the number of did not give adequate attention to crease their prices. In India too the
its therapy centres from 100 to 400 in other critical issues such as incentives insurance regulator has been calling
six to nine months. Policyholders will for health insurance and skill develop- for powers to regulate the healthcare
have the option of face-to-face consul- ment. sector. T

The Insurance Times, April 2022 13