Hyderabad: Owing to lack of proper ‘medical proof’ for a person’s mental illness, getting insurance cover is troublesome. Since cost of treatment is a major issue, the Indian Psychiatry Society has asked the Union government to consider at least 50 per cent inclusion of the expenses.
Dr Vidhyadhar Watve, vice-president of the Indian Psychiatric Society, said, “Bearing of half the expenses by insurance companies would come as a relief to the patients.”
The insurance sector in not keen on extending insurance for mental illness as there is no method to check whether a person is misusing the cover.
An industry expert said, “There is a fear that there will be misuse of funds, if there is a doctor-patient nexus. The insurance company requires a third party verification. There can only be subjective and behavioural evidence, which can differ from case to case.”
In many cases, experts say, patients stop treatment midway due to high expenses.
